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Canadian prime-minister candidate Paul Martin recently voiced support for federal running-rights provisions to enhance rail competition and help Canada's ailing agricultural shippers.


"A new policy framework is certainly required to help transform Canada's rural economy into a more durable, less vulnerable and more prosperous foundation," said Martin, a Liberal party candidate and member of Parliament for LaSalle-Emard, in a prepared statement.


Rail competition would help farmers struggling with a long drought "cope with unreasonable freight costs," Martin believes.


"There is no reason, if you pay a fee, why two railways can not operate down the same track," he said.