VIA Rail Canada Act

An Act respecting VIA Rail Canada and making consequential amendments to the Canada Transportation Act

This bill is from the 41st Parliament, 2nd session, which ended in August 2015.

Sponsor

Philip Toone  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Defeated, as of April 29, 2015
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment establishes a legislative framework for the crown corporation of VIA Rail Canada and describes the scheme of governance and funding for it. It also requires VIA Rail Canada to maintain public passenger service for the routes set out in the schedule.
This enactment also amends the Canada Transportation Act to enable a railway company to electrify the tracks of another railway company, by applying to the Canadian Transportation Agency for this purpose. It accords scheduling and operational preference to public passenger service by VIA Rail Canada over freight service where there is a conflict between the two. It requires VIA Rail Canada and any other railway company to set out public passenger service performance standards and incentive payments in agreements between them and allows the Canadian Transportation Agency to investigate and impose monetary penalties for poor performance and delays. It promotes the transparency of agreements between VIA Rail Canada and another railway company to use that railway company’s facilities or services by requiring publication of these agreements.

Similar bills

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-640s:

C-640 (2011) An Act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act (remuneration of directors and officers)

Votes

April 29, 2015 Failed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 24th, 2015 / 2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 24th, 2015 / 2:30 p.m.

The Acting Speaker Bruce Stanton

All those opposed will please say nay.

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 24th, 2015 / 2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 24th, 2015 / 2:30 p.m.

The Acting Speaker Bruce Stanton

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, April 29, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

Pursuant to an order made Wednesday, April 22, the House will now proceed to the consideration of Motion No. 587 under private members' business.

The House resumed from April 24 consideration of the motion that Bill C-640, An Act respecting VIA Rail Canada and making consequential amendments to the Canada Transportation Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 29th, 2015 / 6:25 p.m.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-640 under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #384

VIA Rail Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

April 29th, 2015 / 6:30 p.m.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

I declare the motion defeated.