Tank car design changes
Illustration: Rick Johnson
WASHINGTON — A third of U.S. tank cars met upgraded flammable liquids safety requirements in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The more than 34% of Class 3 flammable liquid tank cars at DOT-117 and DOT-117R standards were up from 20% in 2018, according to a 2019 report from the transportation department.
Thomas Ellman, chief financial officer of car leasing company GATX, noted in a recent investors’ conference call that BNSF has been resisting shippers’ use of retrofited tank cars, offering incentives for them to use newer DOT-117 models.
There were 80,298 tank cars in flammable liquid service in 2018, according to the DOT report.
Tank car fleet usage varies by product demand and pipeline availability.
