Ottawa Ontario - Transport Canada (TC) is continuously working with the railway industry to update rules, regulations, and standards that improve the safety of Canada's railway system and protect all Canadians who live and work along rail lines.
 
Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced the approval of revisions to the Canadian Rail Operating Rules and the Locomotive Inspection and Safety Rules to reduce the risk of uncontrolled movements of trains.
 
To help ensure that trains are properly secured, revisions to the Canadian Rail Operating Rules and the Locomotive Inspection and Safety Rules will establish:
 
Performance standards for locomotives equipped with roll away protection, which is a feature designed to automatically apply brakes when there is an unintended movement of a train.
 
Safety procedures and requirements that must be met before leaving a locomotive, such as confirming that brakes are effectively set and double-checking with another employee that safeguard measures have been implemented.
 
Testing procedures to ensure that the roll away protection system is operating properly.
 
The new rules build on measures in place to secure trains and reduce the risk of uncontrolled movement, such as requiring hand brakes be applied in specific circumstances, and will further help keep communities and workers safe.
 
Author unknown.