The Economy

Rail is a RightChoice^TM business that moves over 70 million people and more than 70 per cent of all surface goods every year, relieving road congestion and helping limit harmful emissions. Rail is growing, innovative, safe and secure and provides access to national and international markets, enabling Canada to successfully grow and compete in the 21st century.

Canadian Rail, by the Numbers

• Jobs
  • 33,624 Rail jobs
  • $2.8 billion in wages
  • 60,000 indirect Rail supplier jobs
• Taxes
  • $427 million in fuel, property and sales taxes
  • $372 million in income taxes
  • $150 million in property taxes
  • $158 million in payroll taxes
• Investment
  • $1.8 billion
  • Unlike other modes, Rail provides and maintains its entire infrastructure and invests about 20 per cent of revenue (on average, every year) back into its network to improve transit time for customers. Rail is the most capital intensive industry in Canada.
• Trade
  • Facilitates more than $75 billion in trade

RAC is an authority on issues concerning Canadian Rail and the trusted body Government consults in establishing Regulations and standards. This partnership creates a constructive environment and helps ensure that Rail is safe, secure, competitive and accessible. Regulatory stability and certainty help build an economic model in which significant investments can be confidently made.