Stand Alone
The Department of Transport coordinate the necessary protocols with the AAR and Canadian railways to effect cost recovery by carrying railways which take corrective action to replace components which exceed specified condemning limits for combination truck component wear on leased cars in service.
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Rail transportation safety investigation report
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|---|---|
| Date the recommendation was issued |
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| Date of the latest response |
February 2011
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| Date of the latest assessment |
December 2010
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| Rating of the latest response |
Fully Satisfactory
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| File status |
Closed
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Summary of the occurrence
On 18 March 1992, following a number of derailments where truck component wear was a contributing factor, the Board determined that the derailments occurred to leased tank cars which had truck component wear on interrelated components which. Individually, these were not worn to the specified condemning limit, but collectively, the combinations of wear reduced the suspension damping of the trucks. The application of existing protocols for cost recovery, specifically, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rules governing inspection and repair of worn railcar truck components, were not prompting the carrying railways to initiate repairs to leased tank cars. Therefore, the Board recommended that:
The Department of Transport coordinate the necessary protocols with the AAR and Canadian railways to effect cost recovery by carrying railways which take corrective action to replace components which exceed specified condemning limits for combination truck component wear on leased cars in service.
Transportation Safety Recommendation R92-07
Rationale for the recommendation
A response from the Minister was received, which stated that "cost recovery is the responsibility of the railway industry and is not a factor related to safe railway operation".
Previous responses and assessments
August 1992: Board Assessment of the Response to Recommendation R92-07 (Unsatisfactory)
Transport Canada does not recognize that the absence of compensation for running repairs to leased cars has safety implication. In consideration that Transport Canada has rejected the safety deficiency, the response to Recommendation R92-07 is assessed as "Unsatisfactory".
Latest response and assessment
December 2010: Additional Information in Response to Recommendation R92-07
In the Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules, under Rule 1 - Care of Freight Cars and Section 2 Repairs to Foreign Cars, Item a(6) has been added. This enables cost recovery by carrying railways which take corrective action to replace components that exceed specified condemning limits for combination truck component wear on leased cars in service.
(see Appendix A: Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules [Rule 1- 2. a.(6) ]).
February 2011: Board Reassessment of Response to Recommendation R92-07 (Fully Satisfactory)
In consideration that the industry has addressed the deficiency with a cost recovery rule, which has been added to facilitate cost recovery for running repairs to leased cars by the carrying railway, the Board reassesses the response to Recommendation R92-07 as being "Fully Satisfactory".
File status
The TSB will monitor TC’s progress on its planned actions.
This deficiency file is Closed.