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| 2003 Archives |
December 15, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| "From talking the talk to walking the walk - the challenge of improving Canadian air quality" | |
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Former Federal Environment Minister John Roberts and Christopher Jones of the RAC published the attached article on Transportation and the Environment in the Dec 2003–Jan 2004 edition of Policy Options. The whole edition is devoted to the major policy issues confronting the incoming Paul Martin government. After describing the growing problems we face on our urban roads and major trade corridors as a result of Business-as-usual policies, the article offers some possible public policy solutions to these challenges.
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Document(s): Click here to download the article in PDF (156 KB) |
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December 1, 2003 |
Member News |
| CPR Holiday Train Launches Cross-Country Fight Against Hunger | |
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Canadian Pacific Railway's Holiday Train takes its rolling display of festive lights and music on the road starting Dec. 6 to help raise awareness of the issue of hunger and to increase donations to food banks. Two trains, each illuminated by thousands of Christmas lights, will visit more than 50 Canadian communities, staging special on-train concerts to raise money and support for the thousands of Canadians who turn to food banks each month. |
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| more | |
December 1, 2003 |
Member News |
| VIA Rail and WestJet sign agreement offering highly flexible fares across Canada | |
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VIA Rail Canada and WestJet announced today that they have signed an agreement, to provide travellers with "excursion-rate", multi-modal fares to destinations served by VIA and WestJet. Brewster, one of Canada's leading tour operators will be the exclusive sales agent for these package tours. Travellers will be able to combine rail/air travel with Brewster tour packages that include sightseeing and hotel stays. "Our shared goal is to provide customers with a seamless service that makes travel easier", said Steve Del Bosco, VIA Rail's vice-president, Marketing. "VIA is extremely pleased to partner with such a successful Western based airline. Our agreement with WestJet allows us to combine the strengths and benefits of air and rail travel to offer a flexible alternative at attractive fares for passengers who want to make the most of their travel time across Canada." |
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| more | |
November 18, 2003 |
Member News |
| Media Advisory - Canada Post, Canadian Pacific Railway and Hudson's Bay Company to launch Mail, Rail, Retail Exhibit | |
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Canada Post, Canadian Pacific Railway and Hudson's Bay Company announce the launch of Mail, Rail, and Retail: Connecting Canadians, a traveling exhibit that outlines the history of each organization and their partnership in building Canada into the country it is today. The exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, November 21, 2003, at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, where it will run until November 29, 2004 before moving to other communities across Canada. The Mail, Rail and Retail exhibit looks at how mail, rail, and retail services have been crucial to building and maintaining communication, transportation and commercial networks across Canada.
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| more | |
November 16, 2003 |
Member News |
| CN Workshop on the safe transportation of Sodium Chlorate by rail | |
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In a Responsible Care Initiatives, CN has organized and hosted this workshop at their Head Quarters in Montreal in an effort to continuously improve the safe transportation of Dangerous goods by rail. This was a great opportunity to learn more about the special characteristics of this product as presented by Erco Worldwide and Nexen Chemicals. In their respective presentations, we have received information on the properties of the product, loading and unloading methods, what type of PPE to wear when responding to incidents and Dos and Don’ts on handling this product. The three biggest North American producers are Eka Chemicals, Erco Worldwide & Nexen Chemicals that represent almost 80% of production capacity concentrated in Canada and mainly exported in the United States |
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| more | |
November 6, 2003 |
Member News |
| Holiday Trains coming soon to a Canadian Pacific Railway track near you | |
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Back for the fifth year in North America, Canadian Pacific Railway's two lighted Holiday Trains and their live musical shows performed nightly from our boxcar stages are preparing to make another run this season for hunger relief.In the past four years, CPR's Holiday Trains have raised more than $1.3 million (Cdn) and more than 160 tons of food for food pantries and food banks along the Holiday Train routes across Canada and in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. The Canadian Holiday Train follows CPR's mainline between Montreal and Vancouver, beginning Dec. 6 in St. Therese, Quebec, and ending Dec. 20 in Port Moody, B.C. Major stops include: Belleville, Sudbury and Thunder Bay, Ont.; Winnipeg and Brandon, Man.; Regina and Swift Current, Sask.; Medicine Hat, Calgary and Banff, Alta.; and Golden, Revelstoke and Kamloops, B.C. |
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October 15, 2003 |
RAC News |
| 2003 Inductees to Railway Hall of Fame Announced | |
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Historical and contemporary railway industry leaders, singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, communities, tunnels and bridges where the steel wheels roll have been selected for induction in this year’s Canadian Railway Hall of Fame. The annual Industry Achievement Award will go to Serge Belzile who recently retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Quebec Railway Corporation. He grew it from one small short line in the Charlevoix Region of Quebec to a major regional railway in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Gordon Lightfoot, whose Canadian Railroad Trilogy fired the imagination of a generation, will receive the Hall of Fame’s Special Award this year. The original ballad tells the tale of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and is one of 400 songs that he’s written and recorded, said Bill Rowat, President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. Public nominations are made in four categories: Leaders, Heroes, Communities and Technologies, through the Internet, and an annual selection process, said Les Kozma, Chair of the virtual Hall of Fame. The project originated with the Canadian Northern Society, a registered charity incorporated in Alberta and based in Big Valley. It has been implemented with the support of the RAC’s 60 freight and passenger railways, communities, museums, corporate sponsors and the public at large. |
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| more (this posting has attachments available) | |
October 14, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Rail Industry Trends 2003 Just Released | |
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The Canadian rail industry faced a tough year in 2002 with a mixed North American economic performance and a severe two-year drought in the Prairie Provinces that had a harsh impact on grain traffic. Despite these obstacles, the industry fared quite well. The railway industry’s workload of 321 billion revenue tonne kilometres (RTK) was virtually unchanged from the year prior. However, 2002 RTK are the third-best ever recorded. 2000, the record year, was only half of one per cent better, said W.A. Bill Rowat, President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. The results are in the 11th edition of Railway Trends released today. It is an annual publication of the RAC that tracks the industry’s financial and statistical performance. |
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| more | |
October 14, 2003 |
RAC News |
| RAC Submission on Shortsea Shipping to Transport Canada | |
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Canada needs a national transportation policy that fosters the optimal use of each mode, does not have any negative effect on the relative competitiveness of competing modes, ensures that the markets determine the best way of moving goods and people and requires all modes – truck, rail and shortsea shipping – to pay their full cost, including external ones, such as those resulting from their impact on environment.
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Document(s): Click here to download the submission in PDF (95 KB) |
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October 9, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Submission by The Railway Association Of Canada to The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce on Bill C-249, an Act to Amend the Competition Act | |
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The RAC believes that Canada’s competition law should put in place a framework that fosters a competitive business climate conducive to innovation. The modifications brought by Bill C-249 might have the opposite effect, because they will likely have a chilling effect on Canadian business, preventing or at least discouraging the pursuit of merger agreements, even if they could generate efficiencies for the economy in general. Simply put, the case for the amendment proposed by Bill C-249 has simply not been made. |
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Document(s): Click here to download the RAC Submission in PDF (91 KB) |
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October 9, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations | |
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On October 9, 2003, the Railway Association of Canada submitted a presentation before the federal House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as part of their pre-budget consultations. The RAC explained its role and talked about the resurgence of rail, as well as the railways' contribution to the Canadian economy and quality of life. The RAC emphasized the importance of capital cost allowance reform, federal fuel excise tax reductions and a new transportation vision required to move Canada's rail companies forward.
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Document(s): Click here to download the presentation in PDF (103 KB) |
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October 1, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Montreal Chosen As 2006 World Congress Site | |
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EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, Oct. 1, 2003 – Montreal, Canada, has been chosen as the venue for the 2006 World Congress on Railway Research -- the world’s largest gathering of railway industry experts in research and innovation. The announcement was made today during closing ceremonies for this year’s forum in Scotland. It attracted more than 700 participants. “The Montreal 2006 World Congress, from June 4 to 8, will share knowledge and facilitate delegate networking through discussions, papers and interactive presentations by research and development people, and others in operations, engineering, environmental and safety management.It will also bring together labor leaders, key suppliers, government representatives, customers, and leading edge researchers in freight and passenger rail transport,” said Mike Lowenger, co-chair of the North American site’s organizing committee, and vice-president of Operations and Regulatory Affairs for the Railway Association of Canada. |
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Document(s): Click here to download the PDF Version of the Press Release in PDF (89 KB) |
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September 30, 2003 |
RAC News |
| New RAC Atlas and Maps Published | |
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The fourth edition of the RAC Canadian Railway Atlas has just been published. It is complemented by two wall maps -- one that shows the detailed location of stations in Eastern and Western Canada (printed back-to-back) and the other, a North American map of the rail lines in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The new Atlas “will replace the one last published by the RAC in 1998, reflects the increasingly North American nature of rail traffic flows, and has been designed to be more user-friendly,” said RAC President and CEO Bill Rowat. It contains an index of more than 3,800 railway stations, organizes railway operations by province, and includes 13 Canadian city maps with the location of rail lines and principal intermodal or transload facilities. To order your copy, please contact the RAC by e-mail at rac@railcan.ca or by telephone at (613) 567-8591. VISA and Mastercard are accepted and prices include postage and handling. A CD version will be available in 2004. Atlas ($59.95 Cdn./$44.95 U.S.) Atlas/2 maps ($69.95 Cdn./$52.95 U.S.) 1 Map ($7.95 Cdn./$5.95 U.S.) 2 Maps ($13.95 Cdn./$ 9.95 U.S.) |
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September 26, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Submission by the Railway Association of Canada to the Public Policy Forum on the Review of the Competition Act | |
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The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) is pleased to have this opportunity to comment on the Discussion Paper “Options for Amending the Competition Act: Fostering a Competitive Marketplace” released in June 2003. We commend the Government of Canada for launching this consultation and trust comments received will guide the revision of the Competition Act (the Act), an important piece of legislation that should not be revised without all players being given the opportunity to make their opinion known. The RAC has had the opportunity to study a draft version of he Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCoC) submission and, in general, agrees with the positions they adopted, particularly with the point of view that the Government has not demonstrated the need to change, in the way suggested, the provision of the Act dealing with Criminal Conspiracy. |
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Document(s): Click here to download the Submission in PDF (93 KB) |
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September 23, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Heavy Truck Weight and Dimension Limits in Canada | |
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This report outlines the principal regulations concerning the size and weight limits for heavy trucks in Canada and highlights their significance. It recommends that no further increases be allowed without first developing knowledge of the full implications. The federal government should exercise stronger leadership in standardizing truck sizes and weights and in reducing the limits. Truck weights and dimensions is one of the most complex areas of transportation regulation. This report focuses principally on the limits for vehicle types commonly used in interprovincial operations, and for so-called Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs). |
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Document(s): Click here to download the Report in PDF (3.1MB) |
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July 18, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Updated Version of the Railway Safety Act (RSA) | |
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On December 18, 2001, the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada Act (TATC) received Royal Assent and is now chapter 29 of the Statutes of Canada, 2001. The thrust of this Act is to establish the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada and to amend several key pieces of transport legislation. On June 30, 2003, the TATC Act came into force, by way of Order in Council (SI/203-128), as well as the amendments to the Aeronautics Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act (RSA). |
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July 11, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/St-Constant, Québec | |
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Phase 1 of the Exporail project was completed on May 31, 2003. On that day, the public was allowed to start visiting the Great Hall which houses over 40 pieces of equipment and has 2 specially mounted expositions, namely the Railway Postal Service and Women Railroaders.
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| more | |
July 8, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Time to get on board | |
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The news that construction of a high-speed rail link between Quebec City and Windsor could begin this fall is promising for Canada. It comes on the heels of a spirited debate among federal Liberal leadership candidates about how to carve up the proceeds of the federal excise tax on fuel. Both of these issues have important implications for the sustainability of our current surface transportation system. Transport Minister David Collenette announced yesterday that the $3 billion high-speed rail proposal he committed to last fall will go to cabinet later this month. That proposal is the realization of a 1991 Quebec-Ontario study that argued that investment in high-speed rail travel would ultimately be less expensive than spending on new highways and airports. Twelve years later, conditions are even more conducive to high-speed rail. The prohibitive costs associated with the earlier electrified French-style version of high-speed rail are off the table; congestion in the Quebec City-Windsor trade corridor is costing Canadians an estimated $3.3 billion annually; air travel has become less attractive since September 11, and governments have become more conscious of the fiscal costs associated with ever greater car use and highway fatigue. |
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| more | |
June 24, 2003 |
Dangerous Goods News |
| Dangerous Goods Information Notice No. 1 | |
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This information notice is provided by the RAC TDG Committee as a pro-active appeal to rail shippers of class 2 materials subject to the ERAP requirements, to ensure awareness of this Canadian TDG Regulatory requirement.
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Document(s): Click here to download the Information Notice in PDF (84 KB) |
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June 20, 2003 |
Dangerous Goods News |
| TransCAER Photo Release | |
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Ottawa's emergency services personnel took part in special safety workshops, a hands-on demonstration of safety procedures at Ottawa Central Railway's facilities on Friday. It was part of a two-day safety exposition and open house that included a public display of freight and passenger equipment and barbecue. A similar event last fall attracted 3,000 of the short line railway's friends and neighbours.
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Document(s): Click here to download the TransCAER Photo in JPEG (413 KB) |
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June 13, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Transportation/Community Awareness & Emergency Response Session (TransCAER) | |
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The St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad in association with Quebec Gatineau Railway, Canadian National Railway, Safe Handling Inc. and the Railway Association of Canada have conducted Transcaer information sessions utilizing the safety Training tank car CN 911 at Auburn ME. Berlin NH. and Richmond PQ. during the period of May 07 to May 16, 2003.
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Document(s): Click here to download the TransCAER Session Summary in PDF (178 KB) |
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June 4, 2003 |
RAC News |
| The Railway Association of Canada Submits a Private Public Partnership Proposal on Short Line Infrastructure | |
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This appended submission proposes that the Government of Canada considers investing in short line rail freight infrastructure. The proposal involves both (a) the upgrade of track, beds and bridges of Canadian short line owners/operators to meet the new North American rail network standard of 286,000 lb. car loading weights and (b) the construction of sidings and reload centers in the hundreds of communities which Canada’s 40 short line operators serve across the country. All of Canada’s rail industry agrees that this category of investment is its highest priority.
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Document(s): Click here to download the Submission Document in PDF (1.1MB) |
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May 29, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Rail Safety Contest Winners Announced | |
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Craig Washburn, a Grade Six student from Tilbury Area Public School in Ontario, and Grade Eight student Kimberley Carter of Eagleview School in Onion Lake, Saskatchewan were first place winners in this year’s First Nations’ Direction 2006 railway safety poster contest. Sgt. Bill Law, contest coordinator who also directs the CPR Police community services unit, said the contest is one of several initiatives helping to reduce the number of motorists and pedestrians killed and injured along Canada’s railways. The poster contest was initiated in 2002 with the assistance of First Nations Police Services, and was open to all young people in Grades Four to Nine who participate in youth groups and school classes in these communities. |
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| more | |
May 23, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| PHOTO RELEASE Canadian author Pierre Berton Inducted Into Canadian Railway Hall of Fame | |
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Canadian author Pierre Berton was inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame at the May meeting of the Toronto Railway Club by Bill Rowat, President of the Railway Association of Canada on behalf of the Hall of Fame. Mr. Berton's books, The National Dream and The Last Spike, helped popularize the history and construction of Canada's first transcontinental railway, the CPR. Left to right are Mr. Rowat; Jane Burnham, Mr. Berton, and TRC President Frank Peters of Canadian Pacific.
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Document(s): Click here to download the Railway Hall of Fame Photo in JPEG (321 KB) |
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May 23, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Transport Minister Announces the First Phase of Toronto Air-Rail Link Project | |
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Transport Minister David Collenette today announced the first phase of the air-rail link project connecting Lester B. Pearson International Airport and Toronto’s Union Station with a proposal call for business cases from the private sector for its development. He was joined by representatives from the Canadian National Railway Company (CN), GO Transit and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
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| more (this posting has attachments available) | |
May 22, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Truck-Rail Industries Tackle Crossing Safety Head-On | |
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The sheer force and weight of trains and heavy trucks trying to cross the tracks at the same time can be deadly and dramatic. There’s an average of 40 such collisions a year. The toll? Up to four dead, as many as eight seriously injured each year, and property damage that can reach $10 million in a flash. The number of collisions between heavy trucks and trains is a fraction of the accidents involving commercial vehicles on the highways. But some 20 per cent of the truck-train collisions result in a train derailment, and more than half those collisions take place at public crossings already equipped with flashing lights and bells. |
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| more | |
May 15, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Pierre Berton Inducted Into Canadian Railway Hall of Fame | |
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Canadian author Pierre Berton was inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame for popularizing the construction and history of Canada’s first transcontinental railway today during ceremonies at the Toronto Railway Club. Mr. Berton works in all branches of communication, but his books on building the Canadian Pacific -- The National Dream (1970) and The Last Spike (1972) -- were later adapted as a television series. The Last Spike earned him a third Governor-General’s Award in 1972. Mr. Berton is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Canadian News Hall of Fame, and has written 48 books. |
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| more (this posting has attachments available) | |
May 13, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Media Advisory: Annual Safety Event | |
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What if there were no train whistles? How do we stop people from walking on railway tracks? These are just two of the questions that will be explored at this year’s “Direction 2006/British Columbia Safe Community Event”. This week, Direction 2006 along with Transport Canada officials and over 80 key municipal and railway officials will meet to exchange perspectives on railway safety in the Lower Mainland. This second annual safety event is sponsored by "Direction 2006", Transport Canada, and the West Coast Express.
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| more | |
May 13, 2003 |
RAC News |
| RAC appears before SCOT to comment on Bill C-26 | |
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On Monday, May 12th, 2003, the RAC appeared before SCOT on the issue of Bill C-26. Representing the RAC were Bill Rowat, Gord Peters (Cando Contracting Ltd) and Mario Brault (GRO and Chair, RAC Short Line Committee). Starting with an industry overview, including the successes resulting from deregulation, they mostly talked about short line developments/trends and need for more growth and infrastructure opportunities. They concluded with a summary of specific C-26 comments and conclusion. Check it out.
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Document(s): Click here to download the RAC Presentation in MS PowerPoint - PPT (973 KB) |
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May 12, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Agreement By Railways, Municipal Governments Timely Response to Urbanization and Environmental Trends | |
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The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to build common approaches to the prevention and resolution of issues that arise when people live and work in close proximity to railway operations. The agreement is particularly timely, given Canada’s increasingly urbanized character, growing concern over greenhouse gas emissions, and increased reliance upon rail for moving freight and passengers. |
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| more | |
May 9, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Rail Safety Issues Highlight Ottawa Central Railway Open House | |
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The Ottawa Central Railway (OCR) and the Railway Association of Canada's Operation Lifesaver program will bring the latest in safety to both the professional community and the general public over a two day period, June 13 and 14th. "Ottawa's emergency services personnel will be involved in special safety workshops and a hands-on demo here at our yards on the Friday," says James Allen, General Manager of Ottawa Central Railway. "The next day, Saturday, June 14th, the public is invited to come in, learn about those same safety issues and initiatives, and have some fun at the same time. We hosted an Open House last October, and because of the incredible reaction, we're bringing it back." |
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| more | |
May 6, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| $1.6 Million to Improve Safety at Railway Crossings Across Canada | |
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Transport Minister David Collenette today announced that Transport Canada will provide more than $1.6 million over the next three years to improve safety at 10,894 railway crossings across Canada under its grade crossing improvement program. Specifically, this program involves the placement of reflective materials at crossings to make them more visible at night.
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April 28, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Mock Collision Raises Public Safety Awareness | |
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Operation Lifesaver's Safety Week launched across Canada, including a mock collision Monday at a highway/railway crossing in Winnipeg to raise public safety awareness along the railway tracks. The government, industry, community volunteer program has helped reduce deaths and injuries by 60 per cent over the past two decades.
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Document(s): Click here to download the Mock Collision - Rescue in JPEG (426 KB) Click here to download the Mock Collision - Train in JPEG (418 KB) Click here to download the Mock Collision Photo - Victim in JPEG (340 KB) |
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April 23, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| First Operation Lifesaver Safety Week Announced | |
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Public safety campaign Operation Lifesaver and its partners will launch their first national Public-Rail Safety Awareness Week on April 28th to help reduce crossing collisions and trespassing incidents along Canada’s railways in communities across the country. Transport Minister David Collenette said: “Although railway accident rates and crossing fatalities in Canada have reached their lowest levels in 10 years, we are always striving to improve rail safety. That is why Transport Canada supports the important public awareness campaigns led by Operation Lifesaver and Direction 2006. Transport Canada and its partners will continue to work together to improve safety awareness.” |
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April 23, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Calendar of Events: Operation Lifesaver Safety Week | |
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The special week will include unveiling a VIA Rail engine with the Operation Lifesaver colours in the corridor, crossing safety blitzes, and Officer on the Train initiatives. There will be mock collision scenarios, broadcast of radio and television public service announcements, OL presentations by volunteers in schools, mall displays, media interviews, conferences and speeches to community groups. The initiatives involve the public, freight and passenger railways, police, unions, safety councils and leagues, government, community leaders and organizations. |
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April 15, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Canada’s Railways Continue to Become More and More Energy Efficient | |
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Canada’s railways continue to demonstrate excellent performance in emissions monitoring and reductions. They produced over two per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions in 2001 than they did in 1990, while hauling almost 30 per cent more traffic then a decade ago. The industry’s current performance data is contained in the most recent locomotive emissions report filed in 2002 by the Railway Association of Canada under a 10-year government-industry voluntary agreement signed in 1995 with Environment Canada. |
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Document(s): Click here to download the Locomotive Emissions Monitoring Programme 2001 in PDF (1.5MB) |
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April 9, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Agree To Work Together On Rail Industry's Training Needs | |
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As the Railway Association of Canada's Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) moves into 'high gear' in setting up programs in community colleges across Canada for rail training, it has signed a Statement of Intent with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) to work together in this initiative. The RAC HR Committee has targeted seven occupations for pre-employment training to date. These occupations were selected, firstly because of the considerable length of time involved in their training of the type conducive to the college delivery system; and secondly, because of the identified future demand for these occupations: 1. Signals and Communications Technicians;By January 2004, the IRT plans to run 7 programs at 5 colleges in Canada. This compares to 2 programs at 1 college in January 2003. The Statement of Intent signed between ACCC and RAC is an excellent step in this initiative and we thank ACCC for their support. |
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| more (this posting has attachments available) | |
April 7, 2003 |
Operations |
| Revised Version of the Canadian Medical Rules Handbook | |
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A revised version of the Canadian Medical Rules Handbook was posted on the RAC website. The new version boasts significant improvements to navigation of the electronic document.
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Document(s): Click here to download the handbook in PDF (2.0MB) |
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April 5, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Chris Jones of the RAC looks at the root causes of gridlock in our major urban centres | |
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In his chapter on "Transportation" from the newly published book, Searching for the New Liberalism, Chris Jones of the RAC looks at the root causes of gridlock in our major urban centres. He proposes that governments commit to developing a full-cost accounting methodology that quantifies the pavement damage and externalities (pollution, congestion, accidents, noise) that different modes of surface transportation impose through their operations. He advances a new funding mechanism that would see future infrastructure spending allocated to the various modes in view of their contribution to the achievement of public interest objectives such as environmental sustainability or the enhancement of safety.
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Document(s): Click here to download the document in PDF (247 KB) |
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March 28, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| RAC Lauds GO Transit Expansion | |
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Bill Rowat, President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada, said today’s announcement by government to improve and expand GO Transit’s commuter services in the Greater Toronto Area is the best single piece of news since the service started 36 years ago. The $1.2 billion investment is expected to be closely shared by federal, provincial and municipal governments. It is “the kind of bold, visionary decision that was needed. I commend them all for their ability to work together in the public interest,” said Mr. Rowat. |
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March 26, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Railway Hall of Fame Seeking Nominees | |
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The Canadian Railway Hall of Fame is giving Canadians a chance to honour the railroaders, their machines and their communities that make freight and passenger railways a vibrant part of the Canadian economy. Nominations can be made for Leaders, Heroes, Communities and Technologies. Deadline for entries is June 1.
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March 15, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Straight Ahead: Building on the Blueprint | |
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The Railway Association of Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency will be co-hosting this government briefing March 18th in Hull. The focus of the briefing is “Building on the Blueprint”. The event is expected to host more than 100 government officials from 14 departments and agencies. Microsoft Power Point Presentations from the event are available on the presentations section of the website. |
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March 13, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| Bombardier begins JetTrain blitz | |
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Bombardier launched a North American marketing blitz yesterday for its proposed new high-speed JetTrain, girding itself for battle with airlines and bus companies. Although Bombardier officials didn't say as much, they hope the media blitz will hype the JetTrain as a timesaving, green alternative to intercity plane and bus transportation. Montreal was the first stop on a show-and-tell tour that will take Bombardier's JetTrain team next to Toronto and then to Calgary before moving into the United States. The company has identified 13 corridors in North America for high-speed rail, including Quebec City to Windsor. (Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette 030313) |
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March 5, 2003 |
Member News |
| New Service, Broad Benefits | |
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This business news clip is interesting on a number of levels. It involves the successful efforts by Railway Association of Canada short line railways Athabaska Northern, Lakeland and Waterways, local truckers and the Alberta-Pacific mill near Boyle to improve transportation service in northern Alberta. The new rail service and construction of three new log transload facilities will help reduce highway traffic by 10,000 truckloads annually, reduce transportation costs by $800,000 a year, double rail traffic on the short line network in the area, and reduce carbon emissions by 50,000 tonnes over the next decade. |
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Document(s): Click here to download the video in MPEG (22.5MB) |
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February 25, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Transportation Blueprint Recognizes Rail’s Contribution - Re-regulation Remains A Threat, Says RAC | |
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The 57-member Railway Association of Canada today indicated its support for the overall direction of Canada’s transportation Blueprint which recognizes the strong, vital role railways play in the Canadian economy and their need for on-going investment. “However, the railway association’s members are very concerned about signs of re-regulatory measures being proposed. Our members are encouraged by the document’s assessment of the challenges facing transportation, the need for Canada to find multi-modal solutions to these problems and address public interest imperatives relating to climate change and other needs, said Bill Rowat, President and CEO of the RAC. |
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February 24, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Take the train, please: POLICY IN MOTION | |
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A new OECD study shows that, given its hidden costs, our current dependence on cars is a form of highway robbery, say rail activists Chris Jones and Robert Taylor.
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February 14, 2003 |
RAC Press Release |
| Rail Safety Contest Launched | |
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The second annual Direction 2006 Railway Safety Poster Contest in Aboriginal/First Nations Communities across Canada has been launched. “We want to start a discussion and build awareness about railway safety in Aboriginal/First Nations communities. Many of them are made up of both Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples who have a unique interaction with the railways across Canada,” said Sgt. Bill Law, contest coordinator who also directs the CPR Police community services unit. Approximately 100 people are killed and 75 seriously injured in highway/railway crossing collisions and from train/pedestrian incidents annually. |
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February 11, 2003 |
Miscellaneous |
| David Suzuki Endorses the Rail Solution to Canada's Transportation Challenges | |
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"We need substantial federal investments in sustainable transportation options (such as light-rail commuter trains) and tax changes to level the playing field between railways and trucks in the freight sector." Source: Ottawa Citizen - Tuesday, February 11, 2003 |
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January 30, 2003 |
RAC News |
| Planning Community College Involvement in the Railway Industry's Future Needs | |
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PLANNING AHEAD -- Ten Canadian community college presidents and the Railway Association of Canada met in Ottawa yesterday to plan their involvement in the industry's future needs. The industry employs more than 40,000 increasingly skilled workers in freight and passenger operations.
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January 27, 2003 |
Member News |
| A Thriving Little Railway - Ottawa Central Railway | |
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Much has changed in recent years on Canada's railway scene. And one of the most significant changes has ben the virtual explosion of shortline carriers such as Ottawa Central Railway, thanks mainly to important regulatory reforms which paved the way for a new breed of rail entrepreneurs.
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| The Railway Association of Canada - Railway Emergency Response Course | |
| New Dangerous Goods Team brochure | |
| Year in Review - Canada’s Railways Hope For Better Results in 2010 | |
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| RAC Marks 90th Anniversary | |
| Canadian Railways Carried More Passengers, Less Freight Last Year | |
| Safety and Environment Awards Won by Railway Employees | |
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