Over the past four decades, the RSI-CTC has been the leader in advancing the design and transportation safety of rail tank cars. This includes developing packaging standards for compressed gasses and materials toxic-by-inhalation. More recently, the Committee was a leader in advocating for the new Class-117 tank car standard mandated by both the U.S Department of Transportation and Transport Canada in 2015.

In 2011, the Committee undertook a major initiative–in partnership with the AAR Tank Car Committee–to petition the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada to adopt the new standard, known as an “enhanced Class-111 tank car” or “CPC-1232 tank car,” specifically for use in tank cars transporting a flammable liquid.

In 2012, in the absence of government action, the RSI-CTC member companies voluntarily began to invest more than $7 billion, by placing into service more than 55,000 tank cars, that exceeded federal regulatory standards.

In 2014, as crude oil shipments by rail saw a historic spike, the Committee vigorously urged the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada to officially adopt an even higher standard. The Committee’s advocacy efforts were partly responsible for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Docket HM-251, which promulgated a new Class-117 standard that became effective in 2016. The Committee also urged Congress to pass the FAST Act of 2015, which set aggressive, but appropriate, phase-out periods for about 150,000 Class 111 tank cars in flammable liquids service.

The Committee continues to be on the forefront of safety initiatives, recommending innovative design standards for tank cars transporting a variety of products.