Development of New Federal Design Standards for Hazardous Materials Tank Cars to Benefit from Public-Private Partnership
Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau
Telephone: 202-493-6024
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 (Washington, DC) In a move designed to aid in the development of new federal design standards for stronger and safer hazardous materials tank cars, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is joining forces with rail and chemical industry leaders to create the tank car of the future, announced FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman.
“Our goal is to jump beyond incremental design changes,” Boardman said. “We and our partners are looking to apply the latest research and advanced technology to provide increased safety for rail shipments posing the greatest safety risk,” he explained, noting that FRA is considering issuing new, more robust federal design standards for hazardous materials tank cars and hopes to issue a final rule in 2008.
Boardman said the FRA has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Dow Chemical Company, Union Pacific Railroad and the Union Tank Car Company to participate in their Next Generation Rail Tank Car Project. The agreement provides for extensive information sharing and cooperation between ongoing FRA and industry research programs to improve the safety of rail shipments of hazardous commodities such as toxic inhalation hazards and high-risk gases and liquids.
Boardman stated FRA is focusing on strengthening the structural integrity of the tank car including the type of material and thickness of the outer shell and the type and design of the insulation material located between the outer shell and the inner tank that contains the hazardous material. This is intended to reduce the probability that a collision, such as a side