Canadian government introduces new crossing regulations

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The Canadian government introduced new regulations to help prevent accidents and improve railway safety.

The new Grade Crossings Regulations establish new safety standards for federally regulated grade crossings. According to Transport Canada, amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations will help identify and address safety risks proactively.

Under the authority of the Railway Safety Act, Transport Canada says these regulations improve safety by helping to reduce the frequency and severity of accidents, preventing derailments and injuries and saving lives. The regulations provide consistent grade crossing safety standards across Canada; clarify the roles and responsibilities of railway companies and road authorities and improve safety features and promote collaboration between all parties. They will take full effect over the next seven years.

The Canadian government is also introducing amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations. Under the changes, rail carriers will be required to report leading indicator data to Transport Canada. Leading indicators are measurable factors that can be used to proactively identify and address safety risks. This new requirement will support better planning and performance measurement, more focused audits and inspections and targeted programs that address specific safety issues.

“The goal of the new Grade Crossings Regulations is to save lives by providing consistent grade crossing safety standards across Canada and promoting collaboration between railways and road authorities,” said Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt. “The amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations will also help identify and address safety risks proactively. We continue to work together to make the Canadian railway system one of the safest in the world.”

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