GE Capital Rail Services has delivered 875 tank cars that meet the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Safety Appliance Standard S-2044, making it one of the first lessors to adhere to the requirement.
This new safety regulation aims to offer safe operations to employees during their works such as operating handbrakes and switching operations.
This includes improvements to handholds, ladder treads, sill steps and running boards and it is used by railroad personnel and shippers during operations.
The US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) had adopted this standard in February, making it mandatory for all the railcars to be built after January 2015 to comply with this regulation.
However, existing cars are not required to be modified to comply with S-2044 and will be able to continue with the existing FRA and AAR requirements.
GE Capital Rail Services president and CEO Joe Lattanzio said: "The changes in the safety appliance standards will positively impact the industry overall.
"Worker safety is always a top priority for all of us in the rail industry. We knew our customers would want cars with the new safety appliance standards as soon as possible."
GE Capital Rail Services senior engineer Gerald Chalko said: "These new standards have improved ergonomics that help to address worker safety concerns by providing more natural and stable positions for personnel."
