Minister Garneau shortens deadline, further strengthens safe shipping of dangerous goods by rail

July 25, 2016 – Montréal, Quebec – Transport Canada

In 2015, more than 146,000 carloads of crude oil were shipped throughout Canada by rail. To protect Canadians and those who live along our rail corridors, it is important that this be done as safely as possible.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, today issued 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 cars16 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.

Quote

"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."
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• Prior to Protective Direction 38, the deadlines for phasing out the legacy DOT-111 tank cars in crude oil service were May 1, 2017, for non-jacketed cars and March 1, 2018, for jacketed cars.
• DOT-111 cars must be completely phased out for all flammable liquids by April 30, 2025.

Contacts

Delphine Denis
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
613-991-0700

Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
media@tc.gc.ca

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