PROGRESS
| The safety of tank cars in flammable liquids service is constantly improving.
Tank Car Fleet
FLEET DATA SHOWS PROGRESS TOWARD FAST ACT DEADLINES
The tank car fleet in North America is constantly changing. New cars are constantly being built and introduced into service. Older cars are retired. And many cars are modified or parked temporarily until they are needed.
History of Tank Car Deliveries
1995 - 2021
New Builds & Retrofits
NEW STANDARD CARS ARE BEING ADDED TO THE FLEET
Monthly production of new standard DOT-117J cars and DOT-120J200 cars began in 2014, even before the new regulation was passed in May of 2015, and before the FAST Act was signed in December 2015. These new cars are helping to replace legacy DOT-111s, and meet demand for growth in Ethanol and Other Flammable Liquid service. Existing DOT-111 standard cars, and cars in the CPC-1232 designation, are also being retrofitted to meet the mandated DOT-117R standards.
DOT 117J & 120J200 Monthly Production
Average CPM Last 6 Months = 152 CPM
As of May 2120 monthly production volumes include tank cars with built dates prior to 2014 as reported each month in Umler.
Retrofit Volume by Month
As of April 1, 2022
During periods of low production the number of cars produced may be lower than the number of cars removed from Umler. This results in negative volume for the month.
DOT 111 Legacy Tank to 117R – Ethanol
As of April 1, 2022
Fleet Data Archive
FREQUENT UPDATES SHOW PROGRESS TO MEET FAST ACT DEADLINES
Data provided by the Association of American Railroads and the Railway Supply Institute Committee on Tank Cars (RSICTC) members shows DOT-111 in crude oil service are being phased out and new DOT-117 are quickly becoming a larger percentage of the fleet in flammable liquid service. The industry is committed to meeting all FAST Act deadlines.
Crude Oil Fleet Size & Composition
As of Year End 2021
As of Year End 2021
Ethanol Fleet Size & Composition
As of Year End 2021
As of Year End 2021
Other Flammable Liquids
As of Year End 2021
As of Year End 2021
DOT 117R Fleet Composition
As of April 1, 2022
DOT 117R Fleet Growth
As of April 1, 2022
DOT 117J & 120J200 Fleet Growth
As of April 1, 2022
Includes 117P Tank Cars
Conditional Probability of Release (CPR)
"CONDITIONAL PROBABILITY OF RELEASE" IS A MEASURE FOR PROBABILITY OF A SPILL UNDER CERTAIN ACCIDENT CONDITIONS
Tank car builders and engineers use a variety of methods to measure the performance of various tank car technologies like head shields and tank jackets. Because no two accidents are ever alike, the science behind these measurements is based on statistics and probability. The numbers shown here provide the best possible understanding of how tank cars in certain configurations are likely to perform based on actual, historic accident data from the RSI – AAR Safety Research & Test Project Tank Car Accident Database.
While tank cars have demonstrated a good ability to withstand damage, it is impossible to reduce the risk of a spill to zero. The probability of product release in a derailment for a legacy non-jacketed, DOT-111 is 0.196, or 19.6 percent–if it is derailed in an FRA-reportable accident. The new FAST Act compliant, DOT-117 specification tank cars, which feature an array of safety features, significantly reduces that probability of a spill by as much as 85 percent, to just 2.9 percent.
Performance of the Tank Car Fleet
THE AVERAGE CPR OF THE TANK CAR FLEET IN SERVICE IS IMPROVING DRAMATICALLY
Between 2013 and 2016, the relative Conditional Probability of Release (CPR) for the fleet of tank cars in flammable liquids service has been reduced by 60 to 85 percent, compared to the DOT-111 legacy fleet. These figures are based on data from FRA-reportable accidents involving spills greater than 100 gallons for various standards of tank cars including those in the CPC-1232 and DOT-117 equivalent standards.


Flip through some charts below to see the overall fleet CPR and the CPR for the tank car fleet in flammable liquids of service.
Change In Average Fleet CPR > 100 for Crude Oil (2013 vs. 2020)
76% Reduction
Key Factors:
- 99% Reduction in Non-Jacketed CPC-1232 Shipments
- 142% Increase in Jacketed CPC-1232 Shipments
- 80% of Crude Oil Shipments in 117J, 117R and 120J Specification Tanks
- 4/1/2020 Deadline for Non-Jacketed CPC1232 Removal
Change In Average Fleet CPR > 100 for Ethanol (2013 vs. 2020)
60% Reduction
Key Factors:
- 58% Reduction in DOT 111 Shipments
- CPC-1232 shipments Increased by 388%
- 63% of Ethanol Shipments in DOT 117 & 120 Specification Tanks
- 5/1/2023 Deadline for DOT 111 Removal
Change In Average Fleet CPR > 100 for Other Flammable Liquids (2013 vs. 2021)
38% Reduction
Key Factors:
- 11% Reduction in DOT 111 Shipments
- 625% Increase in CPC-1232 Shipments since 2013
- 19% of Other FL Shipments in DOT 117/120 Specification Tanks
- 5/1/2025 Deadline for DOT 111 Removal (packing group I)
- 5/1/2029 Deadline for DOT 111 Removal (packing group II & III)