Ottawa Ontario - When a tragic rail accident happens, it is critical for investigators to be able to gather all the facts.
 
Then they determine what preventable actions can be taken in the future to prevent a reoccurrence.
 
Remember the tragic accident of VIA Rail at Burlington in 2012 where three train engineers were killed.
 
An advanced signal was missed by the three engineers and the train was travelling more than four times the authorized speed.
 
Video evidence from the cab would have helped investigators determine just exactly how this happened.
 
Now Bill C-49 has been passed into Canadian law.
 
Bill C-49 is an Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and other Acts respecting transportation and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
 
The regulations to support the act will follow.
 
Relating to the ability to allow videotaping of the train crew, the act amends the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act to allow the use or communication of an on-board recording, as defined in subsection 28(1) of that Act, if that use or communication is expressly authorized under the Aeronautics Act, the National Energy Board Act, the Railway Safety Act, or the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
 
Paul Langan.

OKthePK Joint Bar Editor:  It is well and good that the Transportation Board of Canada (TSB) should have access to recordings following an incident or accident. But the Bill also allows railway managers to have "proactive" access to in-cab recordings. Judging by the large number of employee grievances filed over the past few years lets hope that management doesn't abuse their access.