Based on insights from multiple interviews, including the AFR...

Based on insights from multiple interviews, including the AFR Critical Mineral Summit, the West Arunta region is emerging as a new frontier for mining. The primary challenge out there is the lack of critical infrastructure. Currently, WA1 is the only company with a deposit valuable enough to justify its remote location. Once WA1 is fully established with the necessary infrastructure, it will pave the way for further mining developments in the region.

While a rail line is not immediately needed, it could become one of the most vital pieces of infrastructure in the West Arunta region in the future. Presently, WA1's niobium can be transported by truck. However, if the company diversifies into fertilizers, the haulage requirements will significantly increase. Planning for this future scenario could position WA1 as the dominant player in the district.

Consider the potential for future discoveries, such as copper, lithium, or nickel by neighboring companies. A rail line would benefit everyone, transforming into a strategic asset. The proposed rail could connect to the Alice Springs railway line, extending to Darwin. In the event of a major rare earth discovery, a concentrate could be produced in West Arunta and transported via rail to Darwin for processing, leveraging the region's most critical resource: water.

Again, I was just raising some points on why they have secured some tenements; the rail theory would be a 10–20-year plan down the track, no pun intended. Only a handful of us I know have seen the AFR livestream because it cost $380 to view it at the time.