Progress Towards Safer Rail Tank Cars Transporting Flammable Liquids: 2025 Report

This 2025 report summarizes progress made in upgrading North American rail tank cars transporting Class 3 flammable liquids to the DOT-117 specifications. The new DOT-117 specifications, finalized in 2015, specify the design characteristics of DOT-117 and DOT-117R (retrofitted) tank cars. These characteristics include a thicker, insulated/thermally protected tank; a full hieght head shield; and top and bottom valve fitting protections.

There were no phaseout deadlines during 2024, and all tank cars were in compliance with the FAST Act. The next major deadline was May 1, 2025, when jacketed CPC-1232 tank cars were prohibited from carrying ethanol and crude oil and all DOT-111 and CPC-1232 tank cars were prohibited from carrying other flammable liquids in packing group I. Compliance with 2025 phaseouts will be evaluated in the 2026 report. The number of DOT-117 and DOT-117R tank cars in the North American fleet continues to increase, comprising 73 percent of all tank cars that carried Class 3 flammable liquids in 2024.

To provide statistically sound estimates of tank car production in the coming year for tank cars that meet the DOT-117 specifications, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics conducted a survey of facilities capable of building and/or retrofitting DOT-117 and DOT-117R tank cars. 3,546 new DOT-117 tank cars are projected to be built 2025, 890 DOT-117R tank cars are projected to be retrofitted, for a total of 4,436 additional DOT-117/DOT-117R tanks projected in 2025.