Canadian railways honored for environmental, safety initiatives

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) yesterday recognized five members for their contributions to rail safety and environmental stewardship.

The RAC Safety Award winners for 2015 are VIA Rail Canada Inc., CN, GO Transit and Central Maine and Quebec Railway. The RAC Environment Award winners are Canadian Pacific and GO Transit.

"This year's award winners represent all of the different segments of Canada's railway sector, demonstrating a truly collective commitment to safety and to the environment," said RAC President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Bourque in a press release.

The RAC's safety and environment awards recognize Canadian railways that display outstanding leadership in those categories, and that work to ensure the nation’s rail network remains safe and sustainable.

In the safety category: VIA Rail was recognized for its Enterprise Risk Management system designed to address potential safety risks; CN, for its Safety Culture Symposium; GO Transit, for its implementation of Crash Energy Management technology into its new bi-level cab commuter-rail cars; and Central Maine and Quebec for its Safety Culture Survey.

In the environment category, CP was honored for its Gateway Boulevard Berm Risk Assessment Methodology for Development near Freight Rail initiative, while GO Transit was recognized for its Transit Environmental Management System (EMS), which applies a consistent environmental standard to all aspects of rail operations.