Specialist nuclear freight
Supporting customers the length and breadth of the UK with essential nuclear freight services.
Since 1995, the core focus of our rail business has been the movement of nuclear material on the UK rail network in support of power generation and national decommissioning programmes.
These specialist rail freights are delivered to meet the stringent safety and security demands of the nuclear industry.
Specific experience in transporting spent nuclear fuel, waste from decommissioning and materials arising from nuclear construction, makes us the leading provider of specialist rail solutions.
Supporting essential decommissioning
DRS supports important decommissioning activities in the UK by moving a range of materials including spent fuel and waste between Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) owned sites operated by Sellafield, Dounreay, NWS and Magnox.
Helping to keep the lights on
Since 1998, DRS has provided specialist rail services to transport spent fuel from UK power stations operated by EDF Energy.
This supports the effective management and storage of fuel once it’s removed from a reactor site, having generated electricity for domestic and commercial consumption. Rail-based spent fuel flask movements account for millions of incident-free miles on UK rail lines.
We are the only operator in the UK approved to carry nuclear material by rail, and we’re proud of our 100% nuclear safety record.
Safe and secure
The transport of nuclear materials by rail presents a uniquely demanding set of challenges. Safety and security are paramount, with every movement bound by stringent regulatory and licencing conditions.
As the only approved rail carrier of Category I-III Nuclear Material in the UK we have developed a special understanding of the UK and international regulatory statutes that frame nuclear transports, and we are committed to providing safe and secure services to our customers.
Case studies
Transferring plutonium from Dounreay
In 2019 we used our rail, shipping and technical capabilities to complete a programme of complex, high-security transport operations to transfer civil separated plutonium held at Dounreay, to Sellafield.
Operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
DRS pulled out all the stops to make sure it carried on delivering essential services throughout the Covid-19 outbreak.
Mixed Load Transport
We’ve used our specialist rail freight and logistics expertise to help customers achieve efficiencies by consolidating materials into mixed loads.
Keeping the lights on
DRS have provided a rail solution for the transportation of spent fuel on behalf of EDF Energy since 1998.
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Major projects support
Supporting the success of major projects through tailored rail logistics solutions.
Major projects support
Innovative solutions
A range of efficient, innovative and sustainable technical rail solutions for customers in nuclear and non-nuclear sectors.
Innovative solutions
Non-nuclear services
Supporting our core business of delivering essential rail transport services to the nuclear industry is a wider portfolio of rail services for customers in other sectors, including retail and consumer goods.
Non-nuclear services