Canada’s railways welcome accelerated phase-out of legacy DOT-111 tank cars

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) strongly supports the accelerated phase-out of so-called “legacy” DOT-111 tank cars used to transport crude oil, announced today by Transport Minister Marc Garneau. Legacy tank cars – those built prior to the CPC-1232 standard – must now be retired from crude oil service, or retrofitted, by Nov. 1, 2016.

“Removing this tank car model from service sooner is an effective step towards ensuring the safe transportation of dangerous goods in Canada,” said RAC President and CEO Michael Bourque. “We welcomed harmonized Canada-U.S. tank car standards introduced last year, and we’re equally pleased with today’s announcement.”

Canada’s railways advocated for more robust tank car standards including increased shell thickness, jacket protection, and full-height head shields to protect the car from puncturing, among other safety features. These requirements were reflected in Transport Canada’s new TC-117 tank car standard, introduced in May 2015.

Rail customers and leasing companies own the vast majority of tank cars, and are responsible for updating and retrofitting their tank car fleets.

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Contact:

Alex Paterson
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8111
apaterson@railcan.ca

About the Railway Association of Canada

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) represents more than 50 freight and passenger railway companies that move 75 million people and more than $280 billion worth of goods in Canada each year. The RAC advocates on behalf of its members and associate members to ensure that the rail sector remains globally competitive, sustainable, and most importantly, safe. Learn more at railcandev.wpengine.com. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.