Easy Steps to Submit Rules

Are you a provincial shortline railway or light-rail commuter service that operates on federal track? If so, read on to find out how recent changes to the Railway Safety Act will affect your operations.

What do you need to know?

As of May 1, 2013, all provincial railways or light-rail commuter services will be subject to the Railway Safety Act when operating on federal track. They will be referred to as local railway companies.

What does that mean?

  • Your company or organization will be directly responsible for complying with the federal railway safety regime when on federal track.
  • Your company or organization will be able to submit rules that apply to your operations to Transport Canada for approval. You do not have to submit rules related to your employees' training, hours of work and rest, or medical requirements, as these labour related matters are under provincial jurisdiction.
  • Transport Canada will monitor your compliance to these rules, once approved, by going directly to your company or organization instead of your host railway company.

What do you need to do?

Start preparing now to be ready to submit your rules as of May 1, 2013, by following these easy steps:

  1. Review the rules listed on the template letter #1 provided and check-off the rules that apply to your operations.
  2. Send that letter to your host railway company. Your host railway company will have 60 days to respond.
  3. Once your host railway company has responded and no concerns have been identified, fill out the template letter #2 and send it to Transport Canada, with a copy of the letter you sent to the host railway company and its response.
  4. If the host railway company has concerns, you will be required to respond to address these concerns. As in step no. 3 above, fill out the template letter #2 and send it to Transport Canada, with a copy of the letter you sent to the host railway company, its response and your response addressing the concerns raised. A copy of all the letters must be included with your submission to Transport Canada.
  5. Send the submission by November 1, 2013, either by mail addressed to Transport Canada's Director General of Rail Safety, by email to railsafety@tc.gc.ca, or by fax at 613 990-7767.
  6. Transport Canada will have 60 days to respond to you regarding your submission. Once the rules have been approved, you will be required to comply with them.

Until then, continue to follow the rules that apply to your host railway company, as identified in your contract with them.

Who can you contact for help?

If you are a member of the Railway Association of Canada, you may wish to contact them for assistance, otherwise you may wish to verify with your host railway company what rules may apply to you.

For further information: Application of the Railway Safety Act to Local Railway Companies

Email: railsafety@tc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613 998-2985