§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many trains carrying nuclear waste pass weekly through Wandsworth Road Station, West London; what quantity of nuclear waste is carried, and whether it is expected that this traffic will increase after the construction of the Channel Tunnel.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)The timing and routeing of consignments are matters for British Rail. I am informed that one consignment per week of one or more flasks is normally dispatched from Dungeness nuclear power station. Such consignments travel via Wandsworth Road using the freight line, which avoids the passenger station. A typical flask could contain up to 2.2 tonnes of spent fuel.
It is unlikely that the opening of the Channel Tunnel will significantly affect traffic of this type.