Transaction in Own Shares

Rio Tinto PLC
31 March 2006

Rio Tinto plc

Transaction in Own Shares

31 March 2006







Rio Tinto plc announces today that it has transferred to participants in its
employee share schemes the following number of its ordinary shares of 10p each,
which were previously held as treasury shares.



Ordinary Shares



Date of transfer:                                              31 March 2006



Number of ordinary shares transferred:                         19,358



Highest transfer price per share:                              1263p



Lowest transfer price per share:                               1263p



Following the above purchase, Rio Tinto plc holds 12,120,925 ordinary shares as

treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding shares

held as treasury shares) is 1,060,118,746.











For further information, please contact:



Investor Relations

Nigel Jones

Office: [phone]

Mobile: [phone]



Secretarial Department

Matthew Whyte

Office: [phone]



Website: www.riotinto.com




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