Evidence of meeting #7 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was track.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
For now, it is in British Columbia because we felt that the problem was more pressing there.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
What results have you obtained when you compared readings?
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
When you compare the two readings, there certainly is a correlation. However, there are defects which must be repaired.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
So, as you say, you would need more than one of these cars.
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
Indeed, we wanted to try the car out in that region, and the results were conclusive. I don't believe we will buy five of these cars, because some regions are smaller and could share such a car with another region, since the inspection itself is much faster. But we certainly intend to buy at least two other cars.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Are you saying that inspections really happen twice as quickly...
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
In the past, most inspections were conducted on foot. Inspectors chose a section of track, walked along it, inspected it and took measurements. But now, we have a car to do all that.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
You could say we are going from the stone age to...
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
We are beginning to catch up with the current technology, which has greatly increased our capacity to...
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
You lose your trust in the safety management systems, the SMSs, when you look at the number of accidents which have occurred. I repeat, in the case of air transportation, ICAO has said that inspections must continue because of a lack of trust in the system. In fact, you have said so yourself.
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
Indeed. When we implemented the SMS, we never intended to stop inspections. What we ultimately want is to obtain a compliance profile for each railway company. We want to know their compliance profile and how their safety management systems work. If a railway company has a good profile, if it does not have many accidents, if our inspections turn up nothing and if the safety management system is in compliance, we will conduct fewer inspections. We would then concentrate on railway companies which have more problems. And in the case of those, we would really have to go back to basics, which is to conduct inspections.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
You said that the number of inspectors has not changed since 2001. Would you need more of them?
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
I have not seen the report yet, but I presume that the report on the review of the act will contain various recommendations for us. Perhaps one of them will be to hire additional staff.
But since I have not seen the report yet, I cannot say whether that will be one of them.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Under the safety management system, do you also analyze each railway company's budget for repairs? Do you cover that as well?
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
That is currently not an obligation under the safety management system.
However, we will meet with CP in the third week of January. The company will present its plan for 2008. Every year, we see the amount of capital investment the company makes. We also see the figures for whole divisions, which are virtually broken down by subdivision, so we can see how many tracks and ties will be changed and where new welded tracks will be laid. CN also shows us its figures.
Eventually, under the framework of the safety management system, we could ask the railway companies to provide us this information at the beginning of each year. Today, we get the information from the large railway companies. So we have it at the beginning of each year. For example, last year, CN invested $1.5 billion in its infrastructure.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Fine.
Is there any way for you to make recommendations regarding the things you need? Does the system work well enough for that to happen?
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
The only powers we have are contained in section 31 of the Act. If, for instance, we found a 60 m/h section of track which was not up to standard, we would issue a slow order for 35 or 40 m/h for that section.
Director General, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
It's the only power we have. If the railroad company decided not to make the investment and to travel at 40 m/h, then the track would be in compliance. We would have no problem with that, but trains would not be allowed to travel at 60 m/h.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
One of the changes the United States imposed on Canada in 2003 was to have railway cars gamma x-rayed through the VACIS machines. There was one added in Windsor as well as those in other areas.
What percentage of railcars are actually screened prior to entering into the United States?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Department of Transport
It is 100%.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
It is 100%.
I'm interested in the mechanics of this. Since that time, how many seizures have there been of either contraband or maybe other types of threats, bombs, or anything else, guns, cars, or other types of illegal merchandise?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Department of Transport
I'm not aware of any transportation security-related issues. There may be customs issues, but I'm not aware of those.
