A slurry pipeline was used for transporting the raw material but an expansion of operations at the mine and a limited supply of water made the rail transport of the product a better option. The East End line was subject to some opposition in the early stages of planning due to residents concerns about noise from the trains and increased water usage at the mine but after negotiations the expansion and the line went ahead. Initially Cement Australia wanted to run its own trains on the line but was prevented due to opposition from Q.R and the lack of any development of a third party agreement.

The East End Branch is nearly twelve kilometers long including loading loop and departs the North Coast Line at Aldoga near the 557 km post. Just after cresting the grade it passes under Port Curtis Way as it heads across a historic cattle property called Mt Larcom Station.

Crossing the Bruce Highway via a preformed concrete bridge it then descends a long grade down to the loading loop. The line is laid to heavy haul standards with heavy rail and cement sleepers and large earthworks to ease grades.

The trains are loaded on a balloon loop that passes under a large storage silo and it is common for the train to make several trips a day. Click the link below for a Google earth view of the line.

The Fisherman’s Landing Branch departs the NCL behind Mt Miller yard at the 542 km post and trains can access the line from both directions. This is because limestone from Taragoola on the Monto Line also supplies the plant from the south. The branch is just over eight kilometers long and the first few hundred meters of the branch follows the old NCL formation before entering the deep cutting made to keep the grades to a minimum. In 2003 a two and a half kilometer loop was constructed of the branch to serve the new alumina refinery built by Coma co.

Most of the land the line crosses was state owned so there was little opposition to the line and the best route could be selected.

The line crosses Port Curtis Way on a typical preformed cement bridge before dropping down grade where the Comalco Alumina Refinery has built an overpass for its conveyor system. The line continues along the edge of tidal flats and into the unloading loop which is concealed in heavy bush land.

Click on the link below to see the Google Earth view of the line and processing plant.

The majority of the plants output is sent via Cement Australia's own ships and a significant portion is sent via rail, most of it to the north of the state.

Although the plant is served by rail the output is trucked to the goods yard at Mt Miller in containers or pumped into flat wagon mounted vessels.

There are two types of trains used to transport raw material to the processing plant both are usually powered by two Clyde GM units. On the odd occasion the train that serves the East End branch may feature a single 4000 class unit.