Trains carry spent nuclear fuel regularly through London yet no London-based emergency exercise has been conducted involving all London's emergency services, a report by the London Assembly Nuclear Waste Trains Investigative Committee has revealed.

Threats including terrorist attacks, vandalism and accidents have lead the Committee to call for an urgent technical review of the risks surrounding the transportation of nuclear waste through London.



This is a matter of concern for London as train lines run through built up areas close to housing, schools and businesses. The exact route of nuclear waste trains is not publicised but it is known that they travel from nuclear power stations in Suffolk, Essex and Kent to Sellafield in Cumbria via North and South London. The trains are also marshalled at Willeseden Junction.

Stringent precautions are vital in the event of an accident involving these trains. The Committee's report recommends a London-based emergency exercise, known as a RADSAFE exercise, be conducted with all the emergency services in London in attendance, not just the Fire Brigade.



A review of public information arrangements in the case of an accident involving the transportation of spent nuclear fuel.

Regulatory authorities, independently of Direct Rails Services (DRS), must monitor radiation and contamination levels on trains and around tracks.

Railtrack, DRS and other operators must improve trackside security as a matter of urgency.
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An examination of the possibility of using alternative rail freight routes to transport spent nuclear fuel, that would bypass London and other major population centres.

Darren Johnson, Chair of the Nuclear Waste Trains Investigative Committee said: 'The Committee had some key questions to ask on behalf of Londoners. We needed to be clear about how prepared London is for an emergency and what potential risks there are for Londoners. The issues raised in this report go beyond London. The question of emergency procedures is a matter of national importance.'