RSI Annual Report 2009 - Railway Supply Institute

Tank Car Activities
11
Hazardous commodities are a
necessity in providing the valuable
goods and services
demanded by our society.
And there is no safer way to
transport these materials than
by rail tank cars. More than
99.99% of hazardous commodities
shipped in tank cars
arrive at their destination
without an incident. The
record is clear that this mode
of transportation out performs
all others, and it is because of
the strong commitment to
safety by the RSI Committee
on Tank Cars and rail tank car
industry.
The RSICTC has long been
proactive in working with the
AAR and government regulatory
agencies to continually
develop safer and more secure
tank cars. Since 1970, the
RSICTC has partnered with the
AAR to fund the Railroad Tank
Car Safety and Research Project,
this project collects data
on tank cars that have been
damaged in derailments and
uses the information to incorporate
designs that enhance
tank car safety.
The Committee also funds
research projects that are
directed toward tank car performance
improvements. This
research is often done in conjunction
with the Department
of Transportation, Transport
Canada and, more recently,
with the Department of
Homeland Security. In addition,
the RSI Committee on
Tank Cars has spent more than
$21 million on data collection
and research, donated equipment
for research testing, and
provided countless hours of
time in participating on industry
committees. This has been
a major commitment, but one
that has resulted in a safer and
more secure tank car to carry
hazardous commodities.
The RSICTC recently joined
with the rail tank car community
to launch the Advanced
Tank Car Collaborative
Research Program. This initiative
will define the next generation
tank car to carry ultrahazardous
materials, addressing
both safety and security
enhancements. Other members
of this collaborative
effort include the AAR, Chlorine
Institute, Fertilizer Institute,
American Chemistry
Council, Department of Transportation,
Department of
Homeland Security and Transport
Canada. The Committee
also participates in visits to
Capitol Hill to educate legislators
on issues that involve the
tank car industry.
The RSICTC continues to
work closely with the AAR and
government agencies on
pending regulations and provided
input to the interim PIH
tank car rulemaking that was
released in 2009. The work of
the member companies of the
RSI Committee on Tank Cars,
in conjunction with the AAR,
government regulatory agencies
and chemical shippers has
been instrumental in achieving
the outstanding safety record
of the tank car industry.
2009 RSI Annual Report