Canadian rail association, government renew pact to further reduce locomotive emissions

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) and Canadian government recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that extends their previous voluntary agreement to limit greenhouse gases (GHG) and monitor air emissions from locomotives operating in Canada through 2015.

The MOU encourages RAC members — including Class Is, regionals, short lines and intercity passenger railroads — to voluntarily further reduce emissions. Under a previous MOU covering a 2006 to 2010 period, the parties met 2010 GHG emission-reduction targets; now, additional reductions are expected to be achieved through the updated agreement, RAC officials said in a press release.

The Canadian government has committed to reducing the nation's GHG emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The Canadian rail industry supports the goal and has set voluntary reduction targets, RAC officials said.

"Canada's railway sector is reducing its environmental footprint while moving more people and goods than ever before," said RAC President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Bourque.

The MOU is the third edition of an original agreement between the parties that covered a period from 1995 to 2005. Canadian freight and passenger railroads have reduced their GHG emissions by 26 percent and 13 percent, respectively, since 1995, according to the RAC.

"The renewal of this MOU marks another step in positioning rail as an environmentally sustainable mode of freight and passenger transportation today and into the future," said Bob Oliver, CEO of Canadian environmental organization Pollution Probe.