Transport Canada to incorporate rail condition data into future inspections

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
rail defect
Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Transport Canada will incorporate rail surface condition data into its inspection cycles; following a recommendation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

 

“Rail safety is a top priority for Transport Canada and the department aims to make railway operations as safe as possible by establishing strict rules, regulations and standards for Canada’s railway system,” Transport Canada said in a release.

In August 2017, TSB issued a recommendation to acquire rail surface condition data and incorporate it into its planning cycle for regulatory train track inspections. The recommendation followed TSB’s investigation into the derailment of a train carrying crude oil near Gogama, ON, in March 2015. The investigation report concluded that a broken portion of the track was the main cause of the derailment.

“Rail safety is my top priority as Minister of Transport. My department is continuously looking for ways to make our railway system safer for Canadians,” said Canada’s Minister of Transport Marc Garneau.

Data on rail surface condition has been requested of Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway and both railroads have agreement to provide the information to Transport Canada on an ongoing basis. Transport Canada says the information will be used to supplement the data that informs the department’s regulatory track inspections starting in 2018-19.

“Iam pleased that Minister Garneau and the Department of Transport are supporting the TSB recommendation to acquire rail surface condition data from CN and CP on an ongoing basis to inform the department’s risk based track inspections in 2018-2019,” said Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt Marc Serré. “I am confident that the adoption of the TSB recommendation will improve prevention of similar incidents from occurring in the future.”

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