Rio Tinto has agreed to purchase four battery-electric trains for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia as part of the company's strategy to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Rio Tinto purchased the four 7MWh FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives from Wabtec Corporation with production due to commence in the United States in 2023 ahead of initial trials in the Pilbara in early 2024. The locomotives, used to carry ore from the company's mines to its ports, will be recharged at purpose-built charging stations at the port or mine.

They will also be capable of generating additional energy while in transit through a regenerative braking system which takes energy from the train and uses it to recharge the onboard batteries.