On July 25, 2016, The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced Canada will begin phasing out DOT-111 tank cars as a means to transport crude oil as early as November 1, 2016. This new deadline has accelerated the phase-out date by as much as 16 months. Unjacketed DOT-111 tank cars were set to be phased out by March 1, 2017, while jacketed DOT-111 cars had a phase out date of March 1, 2018.
Replacing these tank cars will be TC-117 tank cars, which contain a thicker steel, head shields, thermal protection, and top fitting protection.
The Honourable Marc Garneau stated “Accelerating the phase-out of legacy DOT-111 tank cars in crude oil services is another crucial step in improving the safety of communities along our railway lines. By removing the least crash-resistant tank cars in service, we continue to modernize how dangerous goods are shipped in Canada and further protect Canadians and their families who live near Canada’s rail network.”
