Nuclear Fuels Storage & Transportation Planning Project

Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies

Nuclear Energy

The ATLAS Railcar Project

Patrick R. Schwab

January 2016

Outline

The Need for New ATLAS Railcars

AAR Standard S-2043

U.S. Navy’s M-290 Railcar Project

FY 2014 and 2015 Contract Activities

Contract Details

Path Forward Beyond the Current Contract

Summary

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The Blue Ribbon Commission recommended development of a

large-scale transportation system for commercial SNF and HLW

(January 2012).

The Administration’s Strategy for the Management and Disposal

of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste (January 2013)

includes activities to:

Establish one or more interim storage facilities, and

Prepare for a large-scale transportation program.

Development of railcars is “destination-independent”

Necessary regardless of where the material is eventually

transported.

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The Need for New

ATLAS Railcars

The Need for New

ATLAS Railcars

Association of American Railroads (AAR) Standard

S-2043, Performance Specification for Trains Used to

Carry High-Level Radioactive Material, provides the

performance specification for these cars.

DOE has made agreements with the Union Pacific

and BNSF railroad companies, which state, “All cars

supplied by the Government Shipper … will comply

with AAR Construction Standards…”

State governments would likely endorse the use of

railcars that comply with S-2043.

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Why New Railcars Now?

ATLAS Railcar Project Schedule

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Project

Completion

in 2022

AAR Standard S-2043

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S-2043 reduces the likelihood of derailment and thereby reduces risk.

S-2043 is the most comprehensive railcar standard published by AAR.

Requires comprehensive analysis during the design phase

Requires comprehensive testing phase

Analytical results from design phase must match testing results

S-2043 requires use of state-of-the-art components.

Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) Brakes

System Safety Monitoring

– Location, speed, truck hunting, rocking, wheel flats, bearing condition,

ride quality, braking performance, and vertical, lateral and longitudinal

acceleration

S-2043 requires maintenance and inspections during operations.

The U.S. Navy’s M-290

Railcar Project

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The U.S. Navy’s M-290

Railcar Project

The Navy started development in 2005.

The Navy’s M-290 railcar is compliant with AAR

Standard S-2043 as a single car, and in a complete

consist.

The Navy obtained conditional approval from AAR in

August 2015.

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The U.S. Navy’s M-290

Railcar Project

Why can’t DOE use the same design, or a slightly

modified design, thereby saving time and money on a

development project?

The M-290, with 12 axles, is much too large because the

Navy’s cask weighs 260 tons. The ATLAS railcar, with only 8

axles, will carry commercial SNF casks weighing up to 156

tons.

Any modification to the design would require a new

development and testing effort.

The extra fabrication and maintenance costs would probably

exceed the savings from the reduced development project.

DOE is leveraging the lessons learned.

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FY2014 and 2015

Contract Activities

Request for Information and Sources Sought

Notice posted on April 28, 2014.

Solicitation posted on December 8, 2014.

Proposals received on February 23, 2015.

Contract with AREVA Federal Services signed

on August 21, 2015.

Firm fixed-price contract

Kasgro Rail, designer and fabricator of the M-290 railcar, is a

subcontractor to AREVA Federal Services

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ATLAS Railcar Project Schedule

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FY 2014 and 2015

Contract Activities

Contract Details

Contract covers conceptual and preliminary designs, including

associated analyses, and prototype fabrication for the ATLAS

Railcar Project.

Contract Period of Performance is 43 months, with a completion

date of March 2019.

Contract price is $8.63 million. This is a firm fixed price.

Contract is divided into 3 phases.

Phase 1 – Mobilization and Conceptual Design

Phase 2 – Preliminary Design

Phase 3 – Prototype Fabrication and Delivery

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ATLAS Railcar Project Schedule

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Current Contract,

with Three Phases

Path Forward Beyond

the Current Contract

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More procurements will be necessary to finish the ATLAS

Railcar Project

Follow-on contract to perform the testing and obtain AAR approval

NFST is evaluating alternatives for the escort railcar

– US Navy is developing an escort railcar

Longer term, DOE will have several options to manage

railcars and perform shipments:

Buy railcars and store/maintain at DOE site

Buy railcars and contract for storage/maintenance

Lease railcars

Contract with company(ies) for shipment campaign(s)

Summary

ATLAS railcars compliant with AAR Standard S-2043

are needed, are destination-independent, and are

long-lead-time items.

DOE NE has signed a contract with AREVA for

development of cask and buffer railcars.

Contract covers conceptual and preliminary design, including

associated analysis, and prototype fabrication

Follow-on work will be required to obtain AAR

approval for the cask and buffer railcars.

DOE is considering options for obtaining escort cars.

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