MILTON, ON
APRIL 27, 2014
Check against delivery
Thank you.
I'm pleased to join you today to launch Rail Safety Week for 2014.
With some 48,000 kilometres of track, Canada has one of the largest rail networks in the world.
We depend on rail to move people and freight. But to do so, we must ensure that this rail system is safe.
The past year has been a challenging one.
The tragic train derailment and explosion last summer in Lac-Mégantic reminded us that, while Canada has one of the safest rail systems in the world, we can still improve it.
Rail Safety Week is an effort to increase awareness of safety around railway operations.
And it is an opportunity to highlight the commitments of government and industry to strengthening the safety of our rail system.
In particular, we want to emphasize safety around rail crossings, where almost half of all railway-related deaths and injuries take place.
That is why the Harper government is working closely with rail companies and communities to identify grade crossings that require improvements.
This is where we can truly make a difference.
In fact, studies reveal that accident rates fall by close to 70 percent after improvements to grade crossings.
That is why I am proud to announce that this year, the federal government's Grade Crossing Improvement Program is providing more than 9 million dollars to improve safety at over 600 railway crossings across the country.
These improvements cover many factors:
- installing flashing lights and bells;
- adding new gate barriers;
- linking crossing signals to traffic signals;
- upgrading light bulbs to brighter LED lights; and
- adding new circuits or timing devices.
Such changes greatly improve the efficiency of and visibility at crossings, making them safer for motorists and pedestrians.
Under the grade crossing improvement program, Transport Canada finances up to half of the total eligible costs, to a maximum of $550,000 per project, with railways and road authorities providing the remaining funds.
In addition, through our Grade Crossing Closure Program, funding is available to encourage the closure of certain grade crossings that are under federal jurisdiction. The program provides a $20,000 grant for a public grade crossing and a $5,000 grant for a private grade crossing in exchange for the beneficiary (generally a road authority or private property owner) relinquishing their rights to the crossing and closing it. Last year, this program allowed us to improve overall safety by closing 11 crossings.
Our government also supports other initiatives to improve safety at railway crossings, such as Operation Lifesaver – a national public education program with the goal of reducing the needless loss of life, injuries and damages caused by highway/railway crossing collisions and train/pedestrian incidents. Transport Canada provides Operation Lifesaver with 300 thousand dollars per year to support their safety outreach and education campaigns.
Ladies and gentlemen, a safe and secure national rail transportation system is important to local communities.
But it is also important to the entire country's economic well-being.
It provides Canadians and our trading partners around the world with the confidence that we have a transportation system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible.
That is why, last week, I announced several measures to respond to the Transportation Safety Board's investigation into Lac-Mégantic.
These measures include the immediate removal of the least crash-resistant tank cars used to transport crude oil, the phasing out or refitting and strengthening of other DOT-111 cars within three years, and the development of emergency response plans for transport of certain dangerous goods.
These measures, and all actions we continue to take around rail safety, contribute to a continued confidence in the safety of our rail system.
And through that, our actions support the economy, as well as communities and families across Canada.
Thank you.
