Almost half of all railway-related deaths and injuries in Canada result from accidents at grade crossings. The Government of Canada is committed to reducing the number of these injuries and deaths by working closely with railway companies and road authorities to identify grade crossings that require safety improvements. Through the Government of Canada’s Grade Crossing Improvement Program (GCIP), contributions are available for safety improvements at public grade crossings that are under federal jurisdiction.
Through the GCIP, Transport Canada funds up to 50 per cent of safety enhancement costs (to a maximum of $550,000 per project)at many sites across Canada every year.
Some examples of eligible projects are:
- installing flashing lights, bells and gates;
- replacing incandescent lights with LEDs;
- adding gates or extra lights to existing signal systems;
- interconnecting crossing signals to nearby highway traffic signals;
- modifying operating circuits within automated warning systems;
- improving roadway alignment or grades; and
- modifying nearby intersections and adding traffic control signals in some circumstances.
These sites are most often identified through:
- an application from a road authority and/or railway company;
- an inspection by a Transport Canada railway safety inspector, through regular monitoring or after an accident;
- a recommendation following an accident, including any made by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada; or
- a complaint concerning the safety of a crossing.
