Conservative inaction on rail safety putting Canadians at risk

Life-saving safety measures ignored by Conservative government

OTTAWA – Railway incidents and loss of life like the tragic VIA Rail derailment continue to take place in Canada due to the lack of mandatory modern safety systems, New Democrats said today. Conservative inaction is costing Canadian lives while other countries like the United States have made effective measures like Positive Train Control compulsory.

“Rail safety experts agree that incidents like the Burlington derailment would not have happened with Positive Train Control in place,” said Olivia Chow, (Trinity—Spadina) NDP Transport Critic. “How many more tragedies does it take for the Harper government to take action?”

Positive Train Control was made mandatory by the US Congress in 2008 in the wake of a major train crash in California. In the case of the VIA Rail incident, such a system would have slowed down the train automatically to a safe speed.

To make the matters worse, the Conservative government has cut $400 million from the Via Rail budget, and reduced funding to the Transport Safety Programs.

Conservative inaction is also evident in ignoring a 2003 request from the Transportation Safety Board to make voice recorders mandatory in locomotive cabs. This simple and effective measure is already in place on ships and aircrafts.

The NDP is calling on the government to take action to step up rail safety to get on par with international peers and prevent future railway fatalities and injuries.