Carmichael mine: federal election, rail access and native title stand in the way

Adani's plans to get started quickly on a scaled-down version of its Queensland mega-mine still face numerous obstacles

The Indian mining giant Adani could be left in limbo until September - well after the federal election - before learning whether its controversial Carmichael coal project will be allowed to access the Queensland freight rail network.

Adani announced on Thursday it would self-finance the Carmichael mine and that construction would begin "imminently". But the company still has to gain several regulatory approvals and negotiate access for its coal trains to use the Aurizon network.