US Navy flat railcars acquisition moves into RFI stage

US Navy flat railcars acquisition is now underway, with the service opening a procurement effort for newly designed flatcars.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Under a contract described as a fixed-price, firm-order arrangement, the winning bidder will be responsible for both the design and the manufacture of the rolling stock, as reported by RailwayPro.

Procurement approach and the Department of Defense RFI

As part of its market research, the U.S. government—through the Department of Defense—has issued an RFI (Request for Information) tied to the flatcar procurement procedure, as reflected in a public notice on SAM.gov. The purpose of that step is to confirm which companies are available and technically capable of supplying the required railcars.

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US Navy flat railcars acquisition: what the supplier must deliver

The flatcar is described as a new model, specially designed and engineered to transport Active Inert Missiles. This new design is presented as essential because of the specific requirements associated with these missiles.

In practical terms, the supplier will provide the new design and manufacturing services for the flatcar based on the system requirements documents and the Specifications provided. Those requirements include the references needed to coordinate transport and operation of the wagon. The supplier must also be able to meet American Association of Railroads (AAR) standards—such as those set out in the Association of American Railroads MSRP listings—and provide the facilities needed to develop the technical data package and manufacture the wagons.

Delivery is listed as FOB Destination, meaning the supplier remains responsible for transportation and the related risks until the flatcars reach the final location designated by the US Navy.

DODX 40000 series replacement and the 2031 timeline

The new flatcars are intended to replace the existing DODX 40000 series, originally designed and built by the US Army in 1981. The Navy indicates the current fleet is due to reach the end of its service life on July 1, 2031, driving the need for replacements to maintain transport capability.

Demilitarization of the existing flatcars is scheduled to begin around January 1, 2031, which requires their withdrawal from service. The Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program originally purchased these cars to transport Active Inert Missiles (AIM) between facilities. However, the current 3-axle, 6-wheel design is described as outdated, and the AAR will not grant an extension of their operating life.

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