New regulations to strengthen railway safety in Canada
Published: Fri, 2014-11-21 09:01Canada’s Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt yesterday announced new regulations to enhance railway safety oversight in Canada.
The new regulations under the Railway Safety Act stipulate that federally regulated companies will be required to hold a valid Railway Operating Certificate (ROC) to operate in Canada. The Railway Operating Certificate Regulations establish baseline safety requirements that must be met before a company begins operations, providing another tool to ensure railway companies operate safely in Canada.
The regulations apply to both new and existing railway companies. Existing companies will have a two-year grace period to obtain a Railway Operating Certificate, whereas new companies will be required to obtain a certificate prior to operating in Canada.
These new regulations empower Transport Canada to put an immediate stop to a company’s operations by suspending or revoking a company’s certificate if a serious violation is identified. These new regulations will come into force on January 1, 2015.