9 March 2009
Overdue Boost for Rail Safety
It is easy to find fault with Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
particularly if you are devoted to the labour movement as I am.
But there is something in the recent federal budget that Harper and his government deserve praise for; and, unfortunately, none has
come from either the media or the public.
The budget offers an unprecedented $44 million for Transport Canada to help make the railroads safer.
Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot of money when compared to the billions of dollars in economic stimuli, but it is incredibly
significant - particularly for the millions of Canadians who live within a mile of major rail lines and who have the most to lose if
tankers filled with anhydrous ammonia, molten sulphur, or sodium chlorate hit the ground near their homes.
Over the last decade, train derailments and accidents have been on the rise. In fact, there have been more than 10,000 of these
incidents since 1999, according to Transportation Safety Board statistics. Most are minor; some are major like a handful so far in
2009 that have forced evacuations of nearby residents.
The rise in derailments at Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, and shortline railways can be traced back to the 1990s when the
federal government deregulated the industry and asked railroads to police themselves more when it came to safety.
The role of third-party watchdogs at Transport Canada was reduced and derailments increased.
Our union has roughly 3,000 members working at CP Rail, maintaining the infrastructure. For about a year we've been raising the public
safety issue as we've seen more and more problems.
Each time, Canadian Pacific responds in the media by trumpeting that it is the safest railroad in North America.
That's not a testament to CP's ability to operate a safe railroad so much as a statement about the whole industry's safety record.
It's like saying the Toronto Maple Leafs are the best professional hockey team in Ontario.
Can't we aim higher? Can't we try to be safer? Maybe as safe as railroads in Europe? Can't our goal be one derailment a week or one a
month, instead of one per day in Canada?
A cavalier, business-as-usual attitude toward derailments should not be tolerated. There are no "duct tape"
solutions. We need lasting commitments, such as the recent Railway Safety Act review recommendations and Harper's budget allocation to
Transport Canada.
We can't afford another Mississauga derailment like 1979. That infamous derailment turned one of Canada's largest cities into a ghost
town overnight when 220,000 people were forced from their homes during a mass evacuation - and luckily no lives were lost.
We don't yet know exactly where and how that $44 million will be spent to bolster rail safety, but a good bet is that Transport Canada
will beef up its rail inspection service, which for too long has been understaffed and overworked.
At present, there are 104 Transport Canada rail inspectors compared with 890 for air transportation.
Granted, when there is an air accident, it is usually involves the loss of life, as witnessed recently just across the border in
Buffalo. But there are hundreds of millions of tonnes of dangerous commodities being shipped by rail through crowded urban areas in
Canada. Catastrophe lurks when the track and equipment do not meet safety standards. After all, the vast majority of main track
derailments are caused by track or equipment failure.
Even with this new commitment from Ottawa, will accidents be eradicated on railways across Canada? The answer is no.
But is this a step in the right direction to improve a flawed policy that has put public safety in jeopardy? You bet it is, and Harper
should be congratulated.
William Brehl - William Brehl is president of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference's Maintenance of Way Employees Division, based
in Ottawa, and a member of Transport Canada's Advisory Council on Railway Safety.
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