Transport Canada takes action at six Ottawa railway crossings

Protecting the safety of pedestrians and motorists at railway crossings

OTTAWA, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, today issued a Section 31 Notice and Order to VIA Rail to immediately address safety issues at six railway crossings in the Barrhaven community of Ottawa.

Under the authority of the Railway Safety Act, the Minister is taking key measures to protect the safety of pedestrians and motorists that use these railway grade crossings.

As a result of these measures VIA Rail must:

• have flagmen on site around the clock at the six affected crossings to provide manual crossing protection for all freight and passenger trains; and
• develop a long-term plan to manage safety at these railway crossings.

Transport Canada will have a railway safety inspector on-site to closely monitor the situation and verify compliance with the Railway Safety Act and related rules and regulations.

Quick Facts

• The Order applies to the crossings located at Fallowfield, Woodroffe, the OC Transpo Transitway, Greenbank, Jockvale, and Standherd.
• An Order is issued to address an immediate threat to safety. It restricts a railway company's operations until certain terms and conditions are met.
• Transport Canada recently proposed new regulations to reduce collisions and save lives at railway crossings.

Quote

"The safety of Canadians is my top priority. That is why I am issuing this Order to ensure that passenger and freight trains are crossing safely at our intersections. I am confident that VIA Rail will take swift action to resolve these issues."

The Honourable Lisa Raitt
Minister of Transport

Associated Links

• Proposed Grade Crossing Regulations

SOURCE: Transport Canada

Ashley Kelahear, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, 613-991-0700; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055; Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada; This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.