Presentation and Paper for WM 2017. A key factor in evaluating the safety of rail shipments involving the transport of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is the development of transportation accident rates that are reflective of the unique characteristics associated with these train operations. Typical rail freight operations may involve consists of a hundred cars or more, which may pass through multiple rail yards for trains to be decoupled and reassembled. In contrast, trains carrying SNF are anticipated to be operated in consists of considerably fewer cars.