Ann: Quarterly Activities Report, page-9

NHC continues to be an extremely well run company and doesn't deserve the slightly negative reaction from 'Mr Market' thus far this morning.

It'll be interesting to see if NHC can rail more coal from Bengalla to the port of Newcastle NSW to at least partly make up for the shortfall in the above latest quarter. There are however only so many rail 'slots' and locomotives, wagons and train drivers/assistants available, although generally the Australian Rail Track Corporation says the whole Hunter Valley rail network can cope with a few more daily return trains provided everything operates to the working timetable.

The protesters in NSW deserve in some cases to be jailed, as they led to the cancellation of coal trains from 1730 or 1900 hours on quite a few nights, while passenger services to Maitland/Telerah were also cancelled at night, inconveniencing commuters and other travellers. Do the protestors want overseas coal customers to instead purchase lower grade, more highly polluting Indonesian coal? They're too stupid to realise that's the danger of their unwise blockades of rail lines.

Terrific that New Acland's output has ramped up, allowing the total to come in above guidance.