This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
October 2026
Compiled by Michael Popke
As carbon capture and sequestration projects expand across North America, the ability to transport captured carbon dioxide (CO2) safely is a critical part of the carbon value chain. Greenbrier’s next-generation CO2 tank car was engineered to meet this need, company officials said.
Greenbrier’s CO2 rail car is designed to maintain liquid carbon dioxide in transit. Featuring a 22,000-gallon capacity, the rail car maximizes payload efficiency and helps lower transportation costs per ton of CO2, Greenbrier officials said. Configurable loading and unloading options allow operators to accommodate varying terminal layouts and customer requirements.
Telematics technology provides real-time visibility into location, temperature and load conditions, enabling informed fleet management and operational decision-making, company officials said.
Advanced insulation and precision thermal management systems help maintain product integrity throughout transit, minimizing loss and enabling the car to achieve up to 25 days before first vent under optimal conditions, they said. This extended holding capability improves operational flexibility, reduces handling requirements and supports longer transportation routes between capture and sequestration locations, Greenbrier officials added.
All told, the rail car combines high-strength construction, integrated thermal protection and enhanced safety features while meeting U.S. Department of Transportation and Association of American Railroads standards.
Tank cars carry sensitive commodities and require maximum cushioning, enhanced operational safety, reliable energy management and long-term protection. To meet and surpass these requirements, tank-car builders and fleet operators turn to Miner Enterprises for draft gears, running board grating systems, side bearings and brake beams, company officials said.
Miner’s TF-880 draft gear utilizes a patented TecsPak® elastomer compression spring package within a proven friction-clutch design to maximize cushioning. With 44% more energy absorption than double-coil spring designs, the TF-880 can significantly reduce the transfer of damaging force to tank cars while providing long-term protection and reliability in operations, Miner officials said. The TF-880 offers 2 million miles of tested service life and 45 years of proven reliability, they added.
Miner Grating Systems also manufactures and fabricates safety running board products for top-of-car and end-panel applications, such as running boards, kink boards, end platforms and brake steps. Miner’s bar grating, diamond grating and round hole safety grating products are AAR-approved.
Miner’s TecsPak® Constant Contact (TCC) side bearings are engineered to improve curving performance and control over truck hunting and car body roll. TCC-III LT side bearings enable tank cars to run with reduced truck and wheel wear, and its durable heat-resistant design provides superior heat dispersion, increasing the life of side bearings in high-mileage applications, Miner officials said.
Finally, Miner Series 2008 brake beams help minimize uneven brake shoe wear. Notched brake heads reduce beam binding for more consistent braking, and an innovative reversible strut allows for quick conversion of the hand of the beam.
Tank-car manway design continues to evolve as the industry seeks to improve sealing performance, simplify operation, and address maintenance and worker safety considerations.
Tank-car manway requirements vary considerably across car designs, applications and generations of equipment. For existing tank cars, manway options are not simply interchangeable, making the availability of multiple configurations important when servicing an established fleet, A. Stucki Co. officials said in an email.
A. Stucki now offers three manway cover configurations to accommodate the wide range of tank-car designs and service requirements across the industry. By maintaining stamped, welded and single-bolt designs, the company can provide systems for new car construction, replacement components and ongoing maintenance needs, A. Stucki officials said.
Single-piece covers are formed from a single plate, providing consistent construction with fewer fabricated joints. Welded covers offer greater flexibility in dimensions and configuration to accommodate specific tank car requirements, they said.
The single-bolt system represents a different approach to traditional manway securement. Instead of six or eight eyebolts and a flat gasket, the design uses one central bolt and strongback arm with an O-ring sealing system, eliminating individual bolt torquing and retorquing while providing uniform compression around the sealing surface, according to the company.
TrinityRail® provides robust, high-quality tank cars with a focus on safety, reliability and performance. The company also is active in industry and federal rule-making bodies and applies focused, quality assurance processes throughout its tank-car operations.
TrinityRail has introduced innovative features, including a service-proven draft sill, a highly configurable operating platform based on commodity- and customer-specific needs, coil systems to promote greater operational efficiencies, and new ergonomic safety appliances, company officials said.
TrinityRail continues to explore the benefits of composite materials over traditional components — such as corrosion resistance, weight reduction and improved thermal properties.
The company has provided tank cars for the CO2 market for over four decades. Given increasing industry focus on the CO2 sequestration market, TrinityRail offers a new pressure differential telemetry system, enabling real-time monitoring of CO2 venting and access to live operational data. The result is faster, more informed decision-making in the field, company officials said.
TrinityRail also is automating technologies to enhance quality control and employee safety. The Tersus Robotic Tank Car Cleaning System removes residual commodities from tank cars, reducing or even eliminating the need to enter confined spaces for cleaning and so enhancing worker safety while preparing tank cars to return to service, company officials said.
Managing one of North America’s largest tank-car fleets, AITX offers general-purpose and specialized equipment to match a wide range of commodities and operating requirements, providing flexibility as needs change.
That flexibility extends to financing, company officials said. AITX’s strong capital foundation supports custom lease structures, sale-leasebacks and infrastructure financing, they said.
With roots in rail-car manufacturing, AITX has retained in-house engineering and regulatory know-how across tank-car types. An experienced portfolio management team anticipates demand and prepares available cars ahead of customer needs. Less time in the shop means more time in the supply chain; a multi-region shop network emphasizes regulatory qualifications and throughput to get cars back into service quickly, AITX officials said.
Better information helps shippers plan the right fleet, which is why FleetAX streamlines lease administration while providing the data to oversee, plan and right-size equipment needs, they said. Telegraph-powered fleet management adds predictive visibility to improve performance.
These capabilities work together to reduce complexity, keep equipment moving and provide shippers greater control over their tank-car operations, company officials said.
Union Tank Car Co. and Procor Ltd. provide tank-car manufacturing, leasing, maintenance and fleet management services for industries that rely on the safe transportation of bulk liquid and gaseous commodities.
The companies support customers across the United States and Canada with a broad portfolio of tank-car solutions, officials for the companies said. Union Tank Car and Procor offer tank cars designed for commodities and bulk materials that require specialized transportation equipment.
In addition to tank-car leasing, the companies provide maintenance, qualification, repair, modification and regulatory compliance services to help customers manage fleet performance throughout their rail cars’ life cycle. Technical and engineering teams support customers in equipment selection, fleet optimization and evolving regulatory requirements.
As part of Marmon Rail, a Berkshire Hathaway company, Union Tank Car and Procor combine longstanding industry experience with an integrated service network that supports customers across North America’s rail system, the companies said. The focus remains on providing reliable tank-car equipment and services that help customers transport critical commodities safely and efficiently, they said.
INPS Rail’s fire-resistant placards are designed for tank cars and other hazardous-materials transportation applications. While traditional placards can be damaged, melt or become unreadable in the extreme conditions associated with derailments, accidents and fires, INPS placards are designed to preserve critical identification when it is most important to emergency responders, company officials said.
The placard combines a durable, UV-resistant face with a laser-cut, galvanized-steel backing. Galvanized steel has a melting point of about 2,500 degrees F, providing a substantial structural backing compared with conventional plastic construction. The design provides long-term durability during normal service while improving placard survivability during an emergency.
The product was developed following the 2023 Norfolk Southern Railway derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, after which the National Transportation Safety Board recommended performance standards require haz-mat placards survive accidents and fires and remain legible long enough to fulfill their emergency-response function.
The company’s placards are available in the required classifications and identification configurations to support chemical producers, railroads, tank-car owners, lessors and other haz-mat carriers, INPS officials said.
Amsted Rail’s Twin Pack® draft gear provides exceptional protection for tank cars by virtually eliminating slack and enhancing train handling performance, company officials said. Its integral design brings together the draft-gear housing, AAR draft-gear yoke and AAR coupler in one component, reducing empty car weight by 220 to 300 pounds per car set.
For a 120-car train, that means 26,400 additional pounds of lading capacity and significant fuel savings, Amsted officials said. A single part number helps lower administrative costs by streamlining ordering, inventory and installation.
The unique design also supports separate buff and draft performance for improved train action control. During draft events, the buff-side stack is not engaged, reducing slack by up to 25% on startup. In dynamic braking, a Twin Pack-equipped train behaves like a single unit, reducing in-train forces by 35%. The system also reduces free slack by up to three inches per connection, Amsted officials said.
The company’s proprietary Key-Gard® elastomer compound absorbs all coupling energy, protecting car bodies and lading from the damaging over-solid impact forces typical of steel-friction draft gears. This reduces maintenance costs by eliminating housing wear, friction clutch wear, spring fatigue and yoke strap damage, Amsted officials said.
Twin Pack requires no draft gear pocket modifications for new or retrofit applications, can be installed with standard tools and performs consistently across all temperatures. With about 300,000 units in service, the Twin Pack draft gear helps enhance tank-car protection and operational efficiency, Amsted officials said.
Michael Popke is a Madison, Wisconsin-based freelance writer.
Related Topics: