Transport committee  We think there should be. The example of the United States is that Congress took that responsibility by enacting legislation that there would be positive train control. Now there are some logistical problems in when it will actually be completely rolled out, but the railways are already investing heavily there because they have to.

Transport committee  Thank you, Chair. Transport Action Canada is a national volunteer-based organization and a registered charity. We were created back in 1976 in response to an invitation from the government for public participation in planning the future of transcontinental rail travel. At that time we were known as Transport 2000.

Transport committee  It's the Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains. I know it well.

Transport committee  Yes, I think so. We're dealing partly with a provincially regulated railway here. But I think it's generally the case that it is possible to invest in these remote lines to provide an acceptable level of passenger service. What's acceptable may be different from what you'd expect in the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa corridor, but I believe it can be done.

Transport committee  Thank you.

Transport committee  Unless a municipality is large enough to afford to take on its own responsibility for safety regulation, the federal government should be able to provide that service. In some cases, it's provided automatically. In Ottawa and Gatineau, for example, the transit systems are federally regulated anyway.

Transport committee  It's always a big problem. A different approach was taken in the United States when Amtrak—I know this is in a different sector and it's intercity transportation—was founded as the passenger railway. It was written into law that there had to be certain guarantees of service in the contracts with the railways so that the railways not only had to accept the Amtrak trains but had to provide that they could be scheduled to operate in a reasonably timely way.

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  You're getting out of my area of expertise. I do know that it has been very important for Canadian railways to consider the capital cost allowances, for example, on acquisition of railway locomotives. We have often been viewed as being at a disadvantage against other countries in how quickly railways can write off the locomotives or other railway rolling stock they purchase.

Transport committee  Certainly there has to be guidance from some source. Obviously in the north the federal government may be the only available source of knowledge and expertise to do that. I know that the Federal Transit Administration in the United States, which I mentioned, and the Transportation Research Board in the U.S. do provide a lot of guidance of this sort in terms of guidelines or suggested approaches, which can be widely used.

Transport committee  I think the two are linked. I referred to the infrastructure projects, many of which are important and have been successful. Some of these projects could not have happened if there weren't a significant federal infusion of funds. I'm looking at ways in which there can be an ongoing framework for providing resources—not only infrastructure funds but also expertise and capabilities to the provinces and the municipalities.

Transport committee  That's for freight operation.

Transport committee  The good examples are Toronto, for instance, where Metrolinx is acquiring ownership of rail corridors up to Barrie, to Richmond Hill, to Stouffville, and so on. Those lines were really marginal in the freight business for major freight railroads like Canadian National or Canadian Pacific.

Transport committee  There are different opportunities. When the City of Ottawa—in the year 2000 it was the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton—wanted to import light rail vehicles from Germany for a pilot project, there was an attempt to get the federal government to forgive the import duties on those vehicles.

Transport committee  I certainly didn't mean to suggest that they did. I think the way I was trying to respond to the point was that exceptions in the way that gas tax funding may be restricted in its use should be made where it's really necessary or appropriate for certain municipalities.