Location: National
Key Messages:
- Rail safety and security is a top priority for Transport Canada. With just over 41,700 route-kilometers of track, Canada has the third-largest rail network in the world.
- Railways played a key role in shaping our country. They continue to be important for Canada’s economy as a primary mode of freight transportation.
- The Canadian rail system includes both federal and provincial railways. Railways that cross provincial or international boundaries are governed federally. Railways that only operate within a province are governed provincially.
- Transport Canada is committed to enhancing the safety and security of the rail industry, including for the public, rail industry personnel, property, and the environment.
- Approximately 155 inspectors carry out around 40,000 inspections across the country every year. These rail safety inspectors determine whether a railway’s operations, equipment, signals and infrastructure are compliant with regulations support safety.
- Since 2013, Transport Canada has increased its total number of rail safety oversight personnel by 42% to help protect all Canadians who live and work along rail lines by putting in place the necessary measures to reduce the risk of serious accidents.
- Transport Canada has also taken a number of concrete steps to strengthen rail safety and the safety of transporting dangerous goods.
- Transport Canada continues to work closely with key partners in the rail sector to ensure the safety of all Canadians who live and work along rail lines.
Summary of Issue / Background:
- Transport Canada plays an important role in the oversight of Canada’s rail industry and conducts more than 40,000 rail safety activities each year, including inspections and audits.
- Transport Canada develops and implements policies and regulations, and administers the Railway Safety Act as well as the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992. This includes inspecting companies and road authorities to ensure they comply with the Act, as well as with regulations, rules, and engineering standards made under the Act.
- Core rail security program elements include developing a comprehensive rail security framework including regulations, policies, standards, and guidance materials, engaging stakeholders to share intelligence and best practices, and providing emergency coordination services.
- A variety of oversight activities complement the progress Transport Canada is making on rules and regulations to improve employee safety, including:
- lowering operating speeds in metropolitan areas for trains carrying dangerous goods;
- strengthening train securement requirements to reduce the risk of uncontrolled movements;
- mandating the use of locomotive voice and video recorders; and
- requiring thicker steel on cars carrying flammable material.
- In addition to these measures, in May 2023, the Duty and Rest Period Rules came into force for freight railway companies and will come fully into effect for passenger railway companies in November 2024. These new rules contain significant improvements including:
- Reduction in the maximum length of a duty period from 16 hours to 12 hours;
- New limits on total work hours: 60 hours per 7-day period; 192 hours per 28-day period; and
- Longer rest periods between shifts.
- The rules require freight railway companies to restrict duty periods for operating employees, namely locomotive engineers, and conductors, and are intended to guard against cumulative fatigue and reduce probability of human errors leading to rail accidents.
- Inspectors monitor compliance with the rules, and if non-compliance or a safety concern is found, the Department takes appropriate enforcement action.
- With 16,000 public and 8,500 private grade crossings along more than 41,700 kilometers of federally regulated railway tracks in Canada, the Grade Crossings Regulations establish safety requirements, including standards for clear sightlines, signage and warnings.
- The Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) provides federal funding in the form of grants or contributions to provinces, territories, municipalities, and local governments, road and transit authorities, Crown corporations, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (including academia), Indigenous groups, communities and organizations and individuals/private landowners to help improve rail safety. The Program aims to contribute to increasing safety at grade crossings and along rail lines, as well as to address climate change resilience and increase public confidence in Canada's rail transportation system.
- Budget 2023 announced an additional $29.3 million over three years for RSIP. With an increased overall funding level, this Program is now supporting a broadened scope of projects. RSIP provides a comprehensive approach to improving the safety of rail transportation across Canada.
- Further advancements to rail safety include the announcement of a new rail safety funding program, the Program to Enhance Rail Safety Engagement (PERSE). This program increases the capacity for Indigenous and local communities, organizations and entities to participate in developing and improving Canada’s rail transportation system.
- This new program builds on rail safety funding announced last year through the Rail Safety Community Participation Funding Program and further expands opportunities for those interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise about local environments.
- Pursuant to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Minister of Transport is also responsible for regulating the transportation of dangerous goods.
- In June of 2022, Transport Canada published the proposed Regulations Amending the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I. The amendments would establish a registration database that will strengthen Transport Canada's dangerous goods oversight regime by providing more accurate information to the department, thereby facilitating a more agile risk-based inspection regime.