BNSF To Improve Transportation Safety Of Toxic Inhalation And Poison Inhalation Of Hazardous Materials

BNSF Railway Company today announced an effort to improve the transportation safety of toxic inhalation and poison inhalation hazardous materials (TIH/PIH). BNSF will publish tariffs (public prices), effective Jan. 1, 2008, to restructure rates based on car risk factors in an effort to encourage shippers to use the most enhanced and upgraded available cars.

The tariff incentives are based on the most improved and enhanced car identified by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as the DOT specification tank car 112J500W for anhydrous ammonia and 105J600W for chlorine. These cars can also be used for most other TIH/PIH commodities.

“Our number one priority is the safety of our employees, customers and the communities in which we operate,” says John Lanigan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “The AAR requires that any tank cars built after Jan. 1, 2008, meet these specifications and all shippers must convert their entire fleet to these cars by Dec. 31, 2018. We hope this change will incent our TIH/PIH shippers to use the most improved and strongest tank cars available as soon as possible, thus further improving the safety of transporting these materials.”

TIH/PIH shipments represent significantly less than one percent of BNSF’s total annual volume.

BNSF continues to invest significantly in improving safety and rail continues to be the safest mode for transporting hazardous materials. BNSF’s safety investments include track and structures maintenance; operating practice changes; and improved safety training for BNSF employees and community responders.

“We believe these policy changes along with our safety investments help address the concerns of the citizens in the communities where we operate,” Lanigan says. “BNSF is committed to leading the industry in the safe transportation of hazardous materials through capital investments and encouraging tank car manufacturers to build, and customers to use, improved and stronger cars.”