"The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and its partners have conducted significant research to better understand and improve how railroad tank cars perform during impacts and how resistant they are to punctures. Since 2007, researchers ahve conducted 16 full-scale side impact tests to validate computer models and provide data that supports regulatory decision-making. These side impact tests evaluated the crashworthiness performance of tank cars used in the transportation of hazardous materials, including designs that comply with current regulations, as well as innovative new designs featuring improved puncture resistance..." (Rakoczy, 2026)
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Rakoczy, Przemyslaw (August 12th) Tank Car Puncture Resistance Research. Available from Railway Age: https://www.railwayage.com/mechanical/freight-cars/tank-car-puncture-resistance-research/