Bens Creek Group PLC, (AIM: BEN), said that most of its infrastructure was unaffected by the severe flooding in West Virginia’s Western region. However, it did pose some logistical and transportation challenges.
As a Company, our prayers and good wishes go out to all those people affected by the devastation.
Although the coal miner stated that the vast majority of its infrastructure was unaffected by the floodwaters, it reported some damage to rail ties as a result of the sheer volume of water that had flooded through.
The railway track was not damaged and the operator of the metallurgical coal mine was able to find a replacement ballast prior to the arrival of the Norfolk Southern train.
The repairs are complete and the rail operator passed inspection on Monday. This means that the arrival time of the train is not expected to be affected.
The flooding caused some supply and logistical problems, mainly in transporting coal from the region to different ports.
To help clear the backlog of supplies, Norfolk Southern has sent three additional trains to the site.
Flooding caused many disruptions in the area, including power outages and downed trees.
In response, a state of emergency was declared. The statement also stated that Bens Creek staff members were present in the community to help where needed.
The repairs to the railway line have been completed and passed an inspection undertaken by the rail operator on 1 August 2022.
With the imminent arrival of a train scheduled for the week commencing 1 August 2022, it was important for the Company to ensure the railway track was fully functional. Accordingly, the scheduling of the train for arrival at the Bens Creek site this coming week is expected to be unaffected.
Chief executive Adam Wilson said, “Firstly, I need to thank each and every member of our team, who worked tirelessly round the clock from Wednesday night, often through the night on multiple nights in succession in very difficult conditions, both to allow the huge levels of water to flow down the Bens Creek mountain and into the Tug river, with minimal damage to property, and then to work around the clock again repairing the damage to our railway line so that we are able to accommodate additional trains into the Bens Creek site to help the logistical difficulties caused in the region.
It is normal for the CEO to thank his staff, but on this occasion, my staff went over and above what could have been expected, as well as maintaining and protecting the assets of the Company for the benefit of all shareholders. The staff at Bens Creek have also been active in the community trying to help where possible and to minimise any further damage and to prevent the loss of life.
It is also a testament to the quality of the remediation of the railway line in the first place that it largely withstood the severe flooding in the area.”
