No. P 001/08
For release - December 18, 2008
VANCOUVER — Transport Canada has laid charges against the Canadian National Railway Company (CN) under the Railway Safety Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
Transport Canada has laid one charge against CN under the Railway Safety Act alleging that the company failed to comply with a July 12, 2007 Notice and Order by allowing a train handling dangerous goods to depart a terminal and operate on main track without being accompanied by an accurate listing of all railway cars in the train. There were no environmental damages or fatalities in this incident.
Transport Canada has also laid six charges against CN under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, Part 4, alleging that the company:
- failed to prepare and be in possession of a listing of all railway cars in the train with accurate information while transporting railway vehicles containing dangerous goods, and
- failed to be in possession of dangerous goods shipping documents for the dangerous goods being transported.
As the railway regulator, Transport Canada is responsible under the Railway Safety Act for promoting, monitoring and enforcing compliance with existing rules and regulations. The department has a regular inspection program in place as well as a mechanism to verify railway infrastructure, equipment and methods of operation to ensure that rail companies comply with the Railway Safety Act.
The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992 was designed to protect public safety when dangerous goods are transported. It focuses on prevention and empowers dangerous goods inspectors to take immediate steps during an incident to preserve public safety. The Act also includes provisions for monetary penalties of up to $1 million and imprisonment for contraventions of the Act.
Canada has one of the safest and largest rail networks in the world with 48,000 kilometres of track and over 40,000 railway crossings. Transport Canada takes very seriously any incident or accident that affects the transportation system.
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