A national railway noise reduction policy could include the following initiatives: an inventory of the major rail lines located close to residential areas in municipalities with more than 250,000 inhabitants; put forward an inventory of sectors in which the abutting owners are exposed to excessive noise levels, which would be put together in consultation with the rail companies, Environment Canada, as well as provincial and municipal authorities; the establishment of acceptable noise levels and thresholds based on established WHO and OECD standards; an assessment of the feasibility of establishing an emissions cap, by way of regulation, based on agreements with the railway industry; awarding priority to actions or disruptions which cause the most harm, which is at night when the noise level exceeds established limits.
All these standards could be included in a national policy, but it would be a living policy. It might even go so far as to amend Bill C-11 and give rise to adjustments over time. This is actually how things work in Europe today. There is a national policy, and every year, the legislative framework is amended. This way, companies have to change the way they do things to stay within the law.
And has the railway sector lost ground in Europe? No, on the contrary, it has grown.