I have written several times about the variety of commodities carried in tank cars, and the fact that certain commodities required special cars. Of course, many edible products and many simple chemicals can be carried in general-service tank cars, AAR class TM and ICC class 103, or even in non-regulated tank cars of classes like AAR-201 and AAR-203. But many corrosive, flammable, dangerous, or poisonous commodities have regulatory limits to how they are shipped, and must be carried in certain types of tank cars suitable for those cargoes.
In the United States, the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates the shipping of hazardous materials by rail, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for enforcing those regulations. The FRA has established a set of requirements for the design and construction of tank cars used to transport hazardous materials, including the use of materials that are resistant to corrosion, the use of fire-resistant materials, and the use of materials that are
resistant to impact. The FRA also requires that tank cars be equipped with safety features such as pressure relief valves, rupture discs, and automatic shutoff valves. Additionally, the FRA requires that tank cars be inspected and tested regularly to ensure that they are in compliance with the regulations.


In the United States, the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates the shipping of hazardous materials by rail, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for enforcing those regulations. The FRA has established a set of requirements for the design and construction of tank cars used to transport hazardous materials, including the use of materials that are resistant to corrosion, the use of fire-resistant materials, and the use of materials that are
 resistant to impact. The FRA also requires that tank cars be equipped with safety features such as pressure relief valves, rupture discs, and automatic shutoff valves. Additionally, the FRA requires that tank cars be inspected and tested regularly to ensure that they are in compliance with the regulations.