SNF Rail/Routing

The purpose of the SNF Rail/Routing Ad Hoc Working Group of the National Transportation Stakeholders Forum is to (1) facilitate a dialogue between federal staff from DOE, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Tribes and States, and other transportation stakeholders, (2) to develop a common understanding of how future rail shipments of spent nuclear fuel will operate, and (3) to identify outstanding issues or questions to resolve in advance of commencing rail-based spent nuclear fuel shipping campaigns. The goal of the working group is to identify key issues relating to rail transport from the NTSF community, address those issues and document work done through white papers or summary reports and make that work available to the NTSF community.

For more information on the working group, contact Co-Chairs Heather Westra (PIIC), Ray Hubbell (Oregon DOT), or DOE-lead Gerard Jackson (DOE-NE) (202-819-1185).

Member Roster

Current Roster

Current Projects

• Evaluation of the Draft Reciprocal Railcar Safety Inspection Protocol for DOE Shipments of SNF

Completed Projects

Rail Routing Workshop (2016-2017)

• Rail Routing Workshop Summary Conference Paper, 2019 International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference

• Rail Routing Workshop Summary Conference Paper, 2019 International Symposium on Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM)

Rail Transport Safety Webinar Series (2016)

Also available at www.ntsf.info/webinars

• Part 1 - Inspection disciplines: Motive Power and Equipment, Signal & Train Control, and Track

• Part 2 - Inspection disciplines: Operating Practices and Hazardous Materials, and the FRA's State Rail Safety Participation Program

• Part 3 - Regulatory requirements for routing rail shipments (PHMSA routing rule), and the FRA’s approach to rail carrier audits

• Part 4 - Industry perspective on rail transport safety, route selection, inspections, and transport of radioactive materials and other hazmat