New rail loading facility

Atlantic Coal plc ("Atlantic Coal")

New rail loading facility at Stockton Mine

Atlantic Coal, the AIM listed anthracite coal mining company operating in Pennsylvania, USA, is pleased to announce the opening of its new rail loading facility at its Stockton Mine. Atlantic Coal owns and operates the Stockton Anthracite Mine ("Stockton") which is located near Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Atlantic Coal, in partnership with the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad ("RBMNR"), has constructed a new rail loading facility at the eastern end of its Stockton mining property. This became operational on 11 August with the despatch of anthracite to a steel industry customer in Indiana and a sugar processing company in Idaho, 680 miles and 2,400 miles respectively from Stockton Mine.

Despatch of anthracite to customers in 100 tons capacity railcars compared with 20 tons capacity road trucks and no longer having to use third party rail loading facilities provides both a more efficient service to customers and reduced loading and transport costs.

Atlantic Coal's Managing Director Steve Best said: "From signing our agreement with RBMNR in June, our new rail loading facility became operational in only two months, an excellent achievement by our Stockton workforce and RBMNR. This facility now provides us with a significant commercial advantage in supplying our increased production of anthracite to customers across the US and potentially to Canada and to East Coast ports for export."

**ENDS**

For further information on the Company, visit: www.atlanticcoal.com or contact: