A plan to transport more radioactive material on the Northern Territory's rail network is a recipe for disaster, a Darwin-based anti-uranium campaigner says.

BHP Billiton will hold a public meeting in Darwin tonight to outline the environmental impacts of its plans to expand the Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia.

The company wants to freight 1.6 million tonnes of concentrate to Darwin each year, while also increasing the amount of uranium oxide it already sends north by rail.

The Northern Territory Environment Centre's Justin Tutty says the Territory has a poor record when it comes to rail safety.

"We've seen a number of significant incidents both road and rail," he said.

"Our rail line is significantly lacking in safety infrastructure and our emergency response capabilities are not up to this significant risk."