【Ferro-alloys.com】Mining major Rio Tinto’s Canadian iron-ore arm, the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC), has announced that it will invest C$750 000 over three years to support research and training at the CEGEP de Sept-Îles’ RAIL Centre of Expertise.

IOC has been working in close collaboration with the CEGEP de Sept-Îles for several years, providing equipment that is now used to train students, including donating a train-handling simulator and has committed to providing the CEGEP with signalling equipment, switch motors, two railcars and track detectors, for a total estimated value of more than C$850 000.

The miner said this week that the new partnership aims to strengthen the position of Sept-Îles as a hub for railway training by tailoring its offering to the needs of the rail transport industry, which is already well established on Quebec’s North Shore.

The investment will enable students, employees of IOC and other companies in the region to improve their technical skills in various fields, including rolling stock and railway maintenance.
IOC and the RAIL Centre of Expertise are also working together in the areas of technical assistance and applied research. These projects involve developing innovative technologies for heavy transportation and preventative maintenance protocols designed to make railways safer and more efficient.

“At IOC, rail transport has always been an integral part of our operations. By getting involved in the development of the CEGEP de Sept-Îles’ RAIL Centre of Expertise, IOC has three major goals in mind: to improve the safety, reliability and productivity of our operations, to facilitate the training, recruitment and retention of qualified employees, and to contribute to the economic vitality of the North Shore,” IOC GM of rail, port and energy José Riopel said.

• [Editor:zhaozihao]