OTTAWA — The Honourable Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport), today announced that the Government of Canada will introduce legislation to improve railway safety in Canada.
“Our government recognizes the importance of a safe and secure national rail transportation system, not only to communities across the country but also to Canada’s economic well-being,” said Minister Merrifield.
The proposed amendments to the Railway Safety Act will encourage rail companies to create and maintain a culture of safety and penalize rule breakers by enabling the Government of Canada to:
- crack down on rule breakers with tough new monetary penalties and increased judicial penalties;
- strengthen safety requirements for railway companies;
- create whistleblower protection for employees who raise safety concerns; and
- require each railway to have an executive legally responsible for safety.
The Railway Safety Act, which came into force in 1989, gives Transport Canada the responsibility to oversee railway safety in Canada. In addition to strengthening Transport Canada’s regulatory oversight and enforcement capacities, the proposed amendments are consistent with the legislative frameworks of other transportation modes.
The new amendments will be backed by Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which has committed $44 million over five years to enable the government to pursue a robust national rail safety program based on detailed inspections, safety management system audits and enforcement action in cases of non-compliance.
A backgrounder with further information is attached.
