Recent hopper car designs reflect demand for safety, efficiency and sustainability, suppliers say

Compiled by Julie Sneider, Senior Editor

A. Stucki Co.

A. Stucki Co.’s new 30-inch composite hatch cover is a revolutionary solution for rail customers that transport dry bulk commodities in hopper cars, company officials said in an email.

The cover is lightweight, durable and designed to prevent moisture from entering a hopper car, which safeguards the quality and effectiveness of the dry commodities inside.

Injection-molded from a strong, composite material, the new hatch cover provides a tight seal and excellent chemical and impact resistance, even at low temperatures. It’s designed to offer an ideal balance of durability, strength and weight reduction to ensure optimal performance for hopper cars.

Stucki engineers achieved a tighter seal through a new, dual-hinge design featuring an integrated, locking latch tab and replaceable EPDM rubber polymer gasket. The result is a reduction in handling, maintenance and cleaning costs.

Stucki’s new hatch cover has advantages over fiberglass hatch covers and those made of carbon or steel, Stucki officials said. Fiberglass hatch covers are prone to cracking and breaking under stress, leading to frequent replacements and increased maintenance costs, and prolonged exposure to sunlight causes fading and material degradation. Carbon or steel-made covers are heavier and more cumbersome to deal with, which poses injury risks and can negatively affect efficiency and overall cost-effectiveness.

Stucki’s 30-inch composite hatch cover eliminates the common failures of fiberglass and steel alternatives, company officials said. Its lightweight yet robust construction improves safety and efficiency, while its superior chemical, impact and weather-resistant properties ensure long-term reliability.

The Greenbrier Cos.

Greenbrier’s covered hoppers, including the 5,200- and 5,612-cubic-foot models, are designed to optimize payload capacity while improving train efficiency.

The Greenbrier Cos.

Greenbrier is a leader in the covered hopper market, offering a range of innovative products and services that meet the evolving needs of railroads and shippers in 2025. As the demand for greater efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness continues to grow, Greenbrier has been at the forefront of developing solutions that align with these market demands, said Greenbrier officials in an email.

Greenbrier’s covered hoppers, including the 5,200- and 5,612-cubic-foot models, are designed to optimize payload capacity while improving train efficiency. These hoppers provide up to 12% additional cubic volume, enabling shippers to transport more product per rail car and enhance overall operational performance. Their length, which is up to 7% shorter than previous designs, allows for more rail cars per train, improving railroad fuel efficiency and reducing operating costs.

A key driver in the market is the shift toward sustainability. Greenbrier’s Sustainable Conversions^™ program repurposes existing rail-car assets, reducing the use of steel by up to 65% and minimizing waste and emissions. This focus on sustainability not only benefits the environment but also provides cost savings for rail operators, Greenbrier officials said.

Greenbrier also offers the Tsunami Hatch^™, an automated cover that boosts loading and unloading efficiency while enhancing worker safety.

Miner Enterprises Inc.

Miner Enterprises’ AutoLOK II outlet gates for hopper cars are designed to provide reliable, trouble-free discharging of grain, sugar, dry bulk chemicals, sand, cement, potash and other commodities.

Miner Enterprises Inc.

Since 1905, Miner has delivered more than 1.5 million gates, including more than 700,000 heavy-duty AutoLOK™ II outlet gates for hopper cars.

Available in a wide range of sizes and models, AutoLOK^™ II gates are simple to operate, Miner leaders said in an email. The gates are designed to provide reliable, trouble-free discharging of grain, sugar, dry bulk chemicals, sand, cement, potash and other commodities.

Additionally, the AutoLOK’s full perimeter carpet seals prevent leakage at all temperature extremes; the patented “lost-motion” system results in a lower opening force; the enclosed rack and pinion keep the door in time and protects it from over torque; the tapered front end supports allow the door to close completely before buildup can occur; and flat vertical walls minimize commodity buildup.

Meanwhile, Miner Durashield^™ trough hatch covers protect commodities in harsh environments. Constructed of a high-performance aluminum composite material, the covers are more durable than fiberglass and lighter in weight than all-aluminum covers. Gaskets stay in place at all temperature extremes and are three times stronger than the Association of American Railroads (AAR) specification requires, Miner officials said.

Miner covers are available in round and square end-cover configurations and accommodate most 24-inch trough designs, in all standard lengths.

Miner’s safety grating systems improve worker safety via better traction. For hopper cars, Miner provides top-of-car running boards, end platforms and brake steps — which are all AAR approved.

Progress Rail

Progress Rail’s coupler lift table enables its crew in Northport, Nebraska, to change wheels in the train and minimize the number of cars out of service for repair.

Progress Rail

From routine maintenance and inspection to complete rebuilding and inspection services, Progress Rail keeps freight cars in service and delivering returns, said company leaders in an email. Progress Rail also offers a range of freight-car services and leasing options to meet specific transportation needs.

Progress Rail officials said the company is the only supplier with a coupler lift table, enabling its crew in Northport, Nebraska, to change wheels in the train and minimize the number of cars out of service for repair. Crews also replace side posts and air test cars to maximize the units that can stay in train hauling loads.

From the time a train arrives at a repair facility, the Progress Rail team serves customers with an aggressive timeline, working through the inspection process, switching heavy repair cars, repairing cars in train and providing the final quality assurance inspection prior to departure for the next loading event.

TrinityRail

TrinityRail supplies all types of hopper cars. It develops covered hoppers and works with suppliers to provide cars that promote efficient and safe operation while offering customized options, such as hatches and gates.

TrinityRail

The continued effort to meet the need to move bulk products by rail is equally focused on rail-car design and the rapid expansion of rail transportation services, according to TrinityRail officials.

The company supplies all types of hopper cars. It develops covered hoppers and works with suppliers to provide cars that promote efficient and safe operation while offering customized options — such as hatches and gates — that can be key to product purity and how the cars interface with loading and unloading facilities.

TrinityRail has produced covered hoppers with an automated gate system similar to its Rapid Discharge gate system for open hoppers and has worked to introduce an automatic hatch system. Both are in response to an increasing desire by customers to automate operations and move workers away from the cars for enhanced safety, according to TrinityRail.

Recently, TrinityRail introduced a family of mid-range, gravity discharge, covered hoppers with corrugated sides that help optimize length and capacity for moving agricultural products more efficiently in unit trains. The first car introduced was a 5,459-cubic-foot capacity car with other designs now in service to better meet the requirements of shippers, lessors and railroads.

In addition to design enhancements, service offerings that address all aspects of shipping by rail continue to grow. Over the past two decades, TrinityRail leaders have seen the rapid growth of the leasing side of its business, which offers greater financial flexibility to customers.

What has followed are major advancements in fleet management capabilities, TrinityRail officials said. Examples include the software and logistics solutions from RSI Logistics that include Rail Command^®.

Rail Command goes beyond track and trace capabilities: It’s an advanced, comprehensive transportation management tool specifically designed to streamline and optimize rail shipping and a shipper’s supply chain. With it comes enhanced data visualization and customized reporting capabilities that provide the line of sight, and the tools required, to better manage today’s rail fleet, according to TrinityRail. 

Email comments or questions to julie.sneider@tradepress.com.