Crews of Queensland Rail are working overtime to clean up some 147 tonnes of zinc concentrate that toppled on the rail over the weekend before it causes further damage to the rail and to the immediate environment.

"It will be an extensive job and it's going to require earth-working material, diggers and excavators and so on," Andrew Powell, Environment Minister, was quoted by ABC, noting the concentrate, if accidentally combined with water, has the potential to self-combust.

It will take at least two weeks for the spill-up to get totally cleaned up at least since the zinc powder was all over the tracks.

"What we have done in the interim is to contain that into a pond of zinc concentrate so we can ensure that it doesn't get out into the broader environment," Mr Powell said.

The Aurizon train, which derailed 70 kilometres west of Townsville near the Flinders Highway at Mingela at 7:20am on Sunday, had carriages, all laden with zinc concentrate.

Each carriage was estimated to be carrying between seven and eight tones of zinc concentrate.

A spokesman from Queensland Ambulance said no injuries were reported, but paramedics will remain at the scene to monitor the clean-up crews.

Details are still being sought out on the identity of the train carriage's owner.