Don’t drive jobs and investments to the U.S. with extended interswitching.
The federal government resurrected this failed policy in Budget 2023 without:
- Any evidence of a problem requiring intervention
- Regard for impacts to supply chains, Canadian jobs, and investment
This policy risks driving unionized jobs and investment to the U.S. and driving up costs for all Canadians.
Certain shipper groups are trying to get a better deal for themselves, but costing Canadians more.
The Facts About Extended Interswitching:
Puts Canadian
railways at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis Amercian ones.
Risks adding, on average, 1-2 days of transit time.
Risks making shipping less efficient.
Risks raising transportation costs.
Won’t help farmers, consumers, or workers as it risks slowing down supply chains.
Risks increasing GHG emissions.
Think of it like Taking a Flight.
Let’s imagine taking a flight. What is more efficient? We could either fly directly from point A to point B, or we could take an indirect route by adding a stop, sometimes requiring travel in the opposite direction, changing planes, and needlessly adding waiting time before reaching our destination. Extended Interswitching is like adding that extra stop.
The Benefits of Rail
Canadian railways are the safest in North America.
Canadian railways offer the lowest rail freight rates on
average among major market
economies.
Rail is the greenest mode of ground transportation. One
train can take 300 trucks off the road, dramatically lowering GHG emissions.
Canadian railways reliably move $380B worth of
goods per year and half of
Canada’s exports.
Rail dwell times remain consistently low while delays
in other modes have increased.