On Friday 7 February 2003 blasting of a rock cutting no 5, north of Alice Springs, was undertaken.

Blasting the rock is necessary as the rock in the hills is too hard for earth moving equipment to break out. Holes are drilled into the rock at approximately 8 metres deep and 2.5 metres apart and the holes are then packed with ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil) explosive and are detonated.

Prior to detonating the explosives, a safety perimeter is established by ADrail personnel, at least 400m from the blast site and when this is cleared the shot firer completes preparation for the blast and detonates the charge. Before the all clear is given the shot firer checks that all explosives have been detonated. Safety is paramount for ADrail and standard safety procedures are rigorously enforced to protect workers and the public.

This blast loosened approximately 15,000 tonnes of rock material, which will be transported north and south of the cutting for construction of the railway formation.

Cut No. 5 is the deepest cut in the Alice Springs section (ASR) of the railway - 22metres maximum depth and second only to Crater Lake (Batchelor near Darwin). The Larapinta Trail previously crossed the railway corridor at this point. It will be re-aligned and provided with a pedestrian crossing of the railway.

Over 140,000 cubic metres of rock material will be removed from this cut and used to construct the formation between the hills and south to Alice Springs. This cut will provide a steady grade for trains to travel on.

The rise of the railway line through the hills north of Alice Springs, at a gradient of 1.2%, is the steepest on the Alice to Darwin line.