A train carrying nuclear waste continues on its unpopular journey in northern Germany, as protesters obstructed the railway, some hanging themselves over tracks, delaying the transport for over two hours early Sunday.

Riot police guard a train carrying Castor nuclear waste containers in Dahlenburg November 7, 2010. The shipment of Castor containers is on its way from La Hague reprocessing plant in France to the intermediate nuclear storage facility in the north-eastern German town of Gorleben. [Xinhua]

Two protesters, surrounded by 50 others, rappelled off a 75-meter high railway bridge and showed big anti-nuclear banners near the town of Morschen, hampering the train for around two and half hours early Sunday morning, federal police spokeswoman Cora Thiele said.

He said after demonstrators around the bridge were hauled away, the 14-carriage train restarted and went on to its destination Dannenberg town, where 123 tons of nuclear waste will be loaded onto trucks and transported for another 20 km to a storage site near Gorleben.

Tens of thousands of protesters are gathering near Dannenberg, ready to hold up the train and show their strong opposition to the shipment. On early Sunday, 50 to 60 tractors appeared on the main road from Dannenberg to Gorleben and were brushed aside by police.

On Saturday, police said some 20,000 people -- 50,000 reported by organizers -- demonstrated near Dannenberg, the biggest protest ever against the regular transport, comparing with last 10 times of convoy of this kind.

The police said some clashes broke out between officers and activists on Saturday. Some protesters threw stones and firecrackers at police, who responded with batons and pepper spray. Sixteen people were taken into custody.

The controversial cargo, heavily guarded by 16,500 police, set off Friday from France, after the radioactive waste from German reactors has been treated by the French nuclear engineering giant Areva group.

The waste is to be buried 860 meters deep in an abandoned salt mine near Gorleben, as a temporary storage site, when a long-term storage facility is under construction.

Activists and opponents feared that the warehouse is not safe enough and might expose the public to excessive radioactive threats, either from accidents or unpredictable technological or supervisory loopholes. Large-scale anti-nuclear protests have gained momentum for months this year since Chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided to extend the life of 17 nuclear plants by an average of 12 years, toppling previous government's plan of shutting down all nuclear reactors by 2022.

The lower house of parliament approved the extension after a 6-hour debate on Oct. 28, which also aroused widespread demonstrations in Berlin and other cities.

Merkel said earlier that nuclear powers, which generates more electricity than wind, tide and sun, could serve as a "bridging technology" and give her country a better position to develop renewable energy.