Direct Rail Services (DRS), the specialist rail freight operator responsible for transporting nuclear materials, has been handed an official Improvement Notice from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The action follows a series of radioactive revelations over a subcontractor’s lack of registration, missing advisors, and a failure to carry out essential risk assessments and staff training.
The fallout began in November 2024, when DRS voluntarily suspended transport movements for five days after discovering that its contractor, EnerMech, was not compliant with several key legal requirements. While there was no risk to the public or environment, the ONR’s subsequent investigation uncovered deeper issues in management and oversight. DRS is the rail arm of Nuclear Transport Solutions, a specialist UK government-owned logistics company.
Material oversight
DRS moves highly regulated cargo – including flasks of irradiated nuclear fuel – between EDF’s fleet of advanced gas-cooled reactors and the UK reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria. It’s a critical site, so the rules are predictably stringent. Unfortunately, EnerMech, the subcontractor in question, turned out to be a control rod short of a reactor on core legal basics.
“The subcontractor was not registered for certain practices involving radioactive material, lacked key advisor positions and had not carried out sufficient risk assessments or staff training,” said the ONR. While the five-day pause was voluntary, it came after DRS itself raised the red flag, perhaps sensing the regulatory chain reaction that would follow.
Management meltdown
The ONR’s inspection, triggered by the November hiccup, went deeper than initially expected. “Our inquiries revealed wider shortcomings in DRS’s management system,” said Russell Bowden, Transport Competent Authority inspector at ONR. He also noted “failings with supply chain management and incident management and reporting”.
In short, the ONR didn’t just find one leaky pipe – they found cracks in the containment vessel. The Improvement Notice, issued in February 2025 and initially appealed by DRS before the appeal was withdrawn, requires corrective measures by the end of August 2025.
No radiation, but plenty heat
There were no consequences for public safety or environmental health, the ONR was keen to point out. Nor was the rail network at risk. Direct Rail Services (DRS) has been transporting nuclear flasks in the UK since the mid-1990s, and the movement of these distinctive trains has long been central to its operations.
“There were no consequences to public safety or the environment as a result of these shortfalls,” said a spokesperson for Nuclear Transport Solutions, DRS’s parent company. “We take our regulatory obligations seriously and are fully committed to meeting the highest standards expected by our regulators, customers, and stakeholders. We have already taken steps to strengthen our internal processes, and we will continue to work with ONR to ensure we comply with the improvement notice.”
Safety critical cargo
The unique terms of the nuclear flask conveyance contract require DRS to ‘top and tail’ its trains for additional operational reliability and safety. The company usually deploys a pair of Stadler UKLight diesels (nominated class 68), which, given the 3800hp output of each unit, makes their trains among the highest power-to-weight ratio formations in the world.
With a load as sensitive as irradiated fuel, the transport regime is subject to intense scrutiny. As one of Britain’s few operators in this field, DRS occupies a critical role in the nuclear fuel cycle. The Office for Nuclear Regulation says it will continue to monitor the company’s progress and expects full compliance by the 31 August deadline.