Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced on July 26 Protective Direction 38, which accelerates the phasing out of DOT-111 tank cars for crude oil service to November 1, 2016.
The accelerated timeline will phase out unjacketed legacy DOT-111 tank cars six months early and legacy jacketed DOT-111 cars 16 months early.
Legacy DOT-111 tank cars are considered to be the least crash resistant tank cars still being used in crude oil service. They will be replaced by tank cars such as the TC-117, which is designed with a number of additional safety features, including thicker steel, head shields, thermal protection and top fitting protection.
In 2015, more than 146,000 carloads of crude oil were shipped throughout Canada by rail.
The Chair of Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, Kathy Fox, issued this statement:
“The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is encouraged that the Minister of Transport is expediting the removal of the higher-risk DOT-111 tank cars from use in the transportation of crude oil.
The protective direction announced today is a positive step, and highlights Canadian leadership in terms of action taken to improve tank car safety.
We look forward to continued strong action from both the regulator and industry to reduce the risks associated with the transportation of crude oil and other flammable liquids by rail.”