Current status: Closed
Open on August 24, 2022 and will be closed on September 26, 2022.
Transport Canada is reviewing the 2015 Rail Safety Management System (SMS) Regulations to see how we can strengthen SMS performance to improve rail safety. The review will provide opportunities to identify issues that need to be addressed for oversight or regulatory amendments. Best practices, oversight approaches, and other issues identified will also be added to the extent possible. There will be several opportunities to provide comments. The first step is to get feedback from stakeholders and the public on the strengths and weaknesses of the current system. We’ve written a discussion paper and asked five questions to gather feedback and help facilitate the discussion.
Join in: how to participate
To read our consultation document and submit comments and questions, register at Let’s Talk Transportation. You can also upload a document through the submission tab on Let’s Talk: Safety Management Systems in the Rail Industry.
Who is the focus of this consultation?
All Canadians are invited and encouraged to participate in the consultation. The following groups may be particularly interested:
- Rail companies
- Railway employees
- Labour representatives
- Associations representing rail companies
- Academia
Key questions for discussion
- What are the most effective elements of the current regulations? What areas should be improved or are lacking?
- Is the current scope adequate? Does it reflect the differences between the various type of operations?
- Should the railway SMS regulations include additional management-based requirements (i.e., possibly as additional processes)? If so, which ones?
- Is the current approach to determine under which circumstances a company must conduct a risk assessment adequate?
- Should there be additional requirements surrounding effectiveness?
Related information
- What we heard report – Safety management systems in the rail industry
- Let’s Talk: Safety Management Systems in the Rail Industry
- Discussion Paper: Review of the Railway Safety Managements Systems Regulations, 2015
Contact us
Transport Canada
Enterprise Building, 14th Floor, 427 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5
Email: TC.RailSafetyConsultations-ConsultationSecuriteFerroviaire.TC@tc.gc.ca