2013 TSB Recommendations & TC Responses

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R12T0038 - Main-track derailment, Via Rail Canada Inc. Passenger train No. 92, Mile 33.23, Canadian National Oakville Subdivision, Aldershot, Ontario - 26 February 2012.

TSB Full-Text Report (R12T0038):
http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2012/r12t0038/r12t0038.asp

TSB Recommendation R13-01

From the TSB Final Report – Following Signal Indications

The Board recommends that:

"The Department of Transport require major Canadian passenger and freight railways implement physical fail-safe train controls, beginning with Canada's high-speed rail corridors." (R13-01)

Transport Canada's Response R13-01

(signed by the Minister on September 3, 2013)

Transport Canada accepts the recommendation. Transport Canada proposes that the Advisory Council on Rail Safety establish a working group with representatives from the railways, the unions and Transport Canada to study the issue of fail-safe train control systems for Canada's railways, with a special focus on the high-speed rail corridors and to provide Transport Canada with options and recommendations as to how to address this issue in a written report by April 30, 2014.

TSB Recommendation R13-02

From the TSB Final Report – In-Cab Video Cameras

The Board recommends that:

"The Department of Transport require that all controlling locomotives in main line operation be equipped with in-cab video cameras." (R13-02)

Transport Canada's Response R13-02

(signed by the Minister on September 3, 2013)

Transport Canada accepts the recommendation. Following this occurrence, Transport Canada referred the issue of locomotive voice recorders to the Advisory Council on Railway Safety for consideration.

The Advisory Council on Railway Safety established a working group with representatives from the railways, the unions and Transport Canada to study the issue of both video and voice recorders on-board locomotives and to provide Transport Canada with options and recommendations as to how to address this issue in a written report by December 31, 2012. The working group finalized its report and provided it to Transport Canada for consideration.

On June 7, 2013, the study by the ACRS's Working Group on Locomotive Voice and Video Recorders was released. The study calls for the voluntary installation of voice/video recording devices on locomotives by railway companies. At the same time, Transport Canada also wrote to the Railway Association of Canada and individual railway companies to strongly encourage the voluntarily installation of recording devices. VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer Railway have committed to installing voice recorders on their entire fleet of locomotives.

Transport Canada is currently looking at encouraging the rail industry to voluntarily install locomotive video and voice recorders as a tool to monitor their safety management systems in a non-punitive manner. Regulation of such an SMS requirement may require legislative change.

TSB Recommendation R13-03

From the TSB Final Report - Locomotive Crashworthiness

The Board recommends that:

"The Department of Transport require that crashworthiness standards for new locomotives also apply to rebuilt passenger and freight locomotives." (R13-03)

Transport Canada's Response R13-03

(signed by the Minister on September 3, 2013)

Transport Canada accepts the recommendation. The current Railway Locomotive Inspection and Safety Rules (revised on February 4, 2010) incorporate by reference the Association of American Railroads Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices Locomotive Crashworthiness Requirements, Standard S-580.

Transport Canada Rail Safety will solicit the Railway Association of Canada and its member railways to formulate rules by March 2014 in order for the Association of American Railroads crashworthiness standards, not only apply to new locomotives, but also to remanufactured passenger and freight locomotives.