CANBERRA, Sept 24 - Australia's highest court on Wednesday ruled mining giants BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc <BHP.AX><BLT.L> and Rio Tinto Ltd/Plc <RIO.AX><RIO.L> must share their Australian iron ore rail networks with other miners.

The ruling is a victory for new miner Fortescue Metals Group <FMG.AX>, which has battled through the courts and competition regulators to be able to use the rail lines to transport its ore to the nearest port.

"The High Court unanimously dismissed the appeals (of BHP). It held that the subject of Fortescue's application answered the description of a service provided by the use of an infrastructure facility such as a railway line," the High Court said in a statement.

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