Austrak: In Profile

Since its establishment in 1980, Austrak has produced in excess of 11,000,000 prestressed concrete railway sleepers, representing over 7,000km of track. The company was also the first to introduce prestressed concrete turnout bearers to Australia, and has since manufactured bearers for over 2,200 turnouts or crossovers.

As an industry leader in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of concrete sleeper manufacturing plants, Austrak has built and operated ten factories since the company's inception. Factory capacity ranges from 50,000 to 700,000 sleepers per year, depending largely on client or project demand.

From 50 tonne axle loads for the iron ore heavy haul railway lines, to 9 tonne axle loads for light rail systems, Austrak has designed and manufactured broad, standard, narrow and dual gauge concrete sleepers. This versatility has earned Austrak a reputation as one of the most innovative designers and manufacturers in the world.

Austrak also benefits through licensing agreements from the world leading technology of Swedish innovator, Abetong Teknik, where a close relationship allows access to leading edge technology, knowledge transfer and sharing.

Austrak's head office is in Brisbane and its current manufacturing facilities are located in Rockhampton QLD, Geelong VIC and Port Hedland WA. An additional manufacturing facility is planned to open in Wagga Wagga NSW in mid-2007.

Laing O'Rourke is Austrak's ultimate parent company. Laing O'Rourke plc is the largest privately owned construction firm in the UK, with operations in the UK, Germany, India, Australia and United Arab Emirates, and over 23,000 employees worldwide.

Safety, quality, environmental management, innovation and employee training are the cornerstones of the company's success. Working in close partnership with clients enables a 'real' environment for driving innovation and change.

To be the world's leading designer and provider of factories, manufacturing processes and products, specialising in concrete sleepers and turnout bearers for the rail industry. We will achieve this through constant innovation, value engineering and an unrelenting commitment to quality.