Atlas railcar
PUEBLO, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the successful completion of a 1,680-mile round trip as part of the final testing for its Atlas railcar. A Sept. 21, 2023 press release said the 12-axle equipment — designed to transport large containers of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste — departed Pueblo on Sept. 5, to Scoville, Idaho, and return.
Two Union Pacific diesel locomotives were the motive power for the four-car test train which included the Atlas, a rail escort vehicle (REV), and two buffer cars. As part of the data collecting, the trip simulated a full-scale shipment with steel test weights, while the Atlas was loaded to its maximum weight capacity for the heaviest transport container certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The test resulted in the railcar meeting the highest safety standards by the AAR.
“This milestone underscores the Department’s dedication to advancing the safe and secure transportation of radioactive materials, including spent nuclear fuel,” said Dr. Patrick R. Schwab, project manager for the Atlas. “Through the successful completion of the test and the Atlas railcar project, we have delivered a capability for the Department to effectively transport spent nuclear fuel to future DOE storage and disposal facilities, filling a key role for successful operation of a nuclear waste management system.”
In a 10-year span by the DOE, the project cost approximately $33 million to develop and test the Atlas, buffer, and REV railcars. The REV was constructed in partnership with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program which significantly reduced the project’s cost [See “New spent nuclear fuel escort railcar heads into final phase of testing” News Wire, Jan. 13, 2023].
According to the press release, the four-car set is expected to be fully serviceable once the data is analyzed and documented, in addition to conditional approval made by the AAR Equipment Engineering Committee. This can take place before the end of 2023. The Atlas railcar is currently scheduled to make an appearance at the DOE’s 2024 National Transportation Stakeholders Forum Annual Meeting in Denver.
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