Canadian government, rail industry pledge to help Ukraine

The Canadian government and rail industry have agreed to provide rail assistance to Ukraine, Transport Canada (TC) announced yesterday.

The announcement followed a meeting between Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra, the Railway Association of Canada and Ukraine's infrastructure minister and ambassador during the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s 41st Assembly. The meeting addressed areas of collaborative rail assistance to the war-torn country.

The governments of Canada and Ukraine, Ukraine's national railway, Ukraliznytsia, and RAC — on behalf of Canadian railways, including Canadian Pacific and CN — established a working group to support the reconstruction of Ukrainian transportation infrastructure and the resiliency of Ukraine's rail infrastructure, TC officials announced in a press release.

Key objectives of the working group include:

• supporting the rebuild of rail sector infrastructure;

• maximizing rail capacity;

• working with the Canadian rail industry to implement core objectives and expertise; 

• analyzing challenges to the movement of Ukrainian export-ready commodities by rail; and

• attempting to identify practical solutions with government and industry allies.

"As a key ally and partner to the Ukrainian reconstruction efforts, the government of Canada will leverage broader industry and supply-chain partnerships that can help inform decisions on freight commodity movements by rail," Alghabra said. "Together with our industry partners, we will ensure the continued movement of people and crucial commodities and products that are vital to supporting the wellness and livelihoods of Ukrainians."

RAC President and CEO Marc Brazeau noted that Canada's railways have continued to deliver service through two world wars and can overcome logistical challenges to help Ukraine.

"Our member railways have deep talent pools and a breadth of expertise to bring to bear in helping Ukrainians get food, energy and other goods to market at this incredibly difficult time," Brazeau said. 

ICAO is a United Nations specialized agency. The ICAO Assembly is the Organization's sovereign body. It meets at least once every three years in Montreal and is convened by ICAO's governing body, the Council. The Assembly establishes ICAO's priorities for the upcoming three years.