Marmon Rail Introduces ProTecht: Industry-First Mobile, Autonomous Tank Car Cleaning System

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marmon Rail is introducing ProTecht, a proprietary mobile cleaning system that revolutionizes tank car maintenance with safer, more sustainable, and highly efficient on-site cleaning. As the rail industry’s first mobile, autonomous tank car cleaning system, ProTecht is now available across the U.S. and Canada.

Operated by Marmon Rail brands UTLX (United States) and Procor (Canada), ProTecht represents a major technological breakthrough in tank car cleaning.

Tank car cleaning is one of the rail industry’s most hazardous and time-intensive operations. Whether for repairs or change of service, every tank car must be cleaned — a process that traditionally requires human entry into confined spaces containing hazardous residues. This manual approach is one of the most dangerous aspects of tank car maintenance.

“Seeing firsthand the risks of traditional cleaning methods inspired me to develop a safer alternative,” said Evan Ingram, Operations Manager at Marmon Rail. “Our mobile, autonomous system eliminates the need for operators to enter hazardous environments.” Ingram, the inventor of ProTecht, spent four years developing, testing, and patenting this groundbreaking technology.

The patent-pending ProTecht system is compatible with all tank car types, regardless of ownership or manufacturer. Designed specifically for industrial railyard environments, ProTecht eliminates the need for confined space entry and features three specialized cleaning modes tailored to the commodity being handled:

• Water Filtration System – Efficient cleaning for light residues
• Steam Injection System – Precision cleaning for midgrade commodities
• Automated Cannon System – High-impact cleaning for hardened residues

“If it ships in a tank car, ProTecht can clean it,” said Jay McGill, President Repair Services, On-Site & Mobile. “Marmon Rail has long been the industry leader in railcar repair and maintenance. ProTecht builds on that legacy with a cutting-edge system that is safe, sustainable, versatile, and purpose-built for on-site deployment.”

ProTecht’s closed-loop system filters and reuses both water and detergent, significantly reducing waste, extending operational uptime, and minimizing environmental impact. By eliminating the need for costly freight moves and out-of-service delays, ProTecht helps fleet owners accelerate turnaround and improve asset utilization.

“ProTecht is a major leap forward in modernizing tank car cleaning for today’s rail industry,” McGill added.

About Marmon Rail

Marmon Rail is a network of specialized industrial rail companies providing comprehensive, end-to-end rail solutions across North America. Our portfolio of trusted brands delivers a full suite of services, including mobile repair, track construction, tank car leasing and manufacturing, railcar movers, and in-plant switching operations. Marmon Rail is part of Marmon Holdings, a Berkshire Hathaway company.