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Transport Canada is seeking applicants for the third round of funding available under Transit-Secure, the federal government’s $80 million passenger-rail and urban transit security program.

Transit operators in Canada’s six largest urban areas — Montreal, the National Capital Region, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver — that have completed risk assessments and developed comprehensive security plans are eligible to apply. Operators outside the six areas, as well as VIA Rail Canada Inc., also can apply and use the funds to develop risk assessments and security plans.

Transport Canada also announced it will extend the Transit-Secure program by one year to March 31, 2009. The program originally was scheduled to run from June 2006 to March 2008. The extension will give agencies more time to complete security improvement projects and assess security requirements, according to Transport Canada.

In November 2006, the agency announced plans to award up to $37 million in Transit-Secure grants to transit agencies in Canada’s six largest urban areas to help fund risk assessment and security plan development, employee training, security improvements and public awareness campaigns. In April, the government announced plans to award up to $2 million in security funding to 16 agencies in other communities, as well as intercity passenger-rail and bus operators. Under the program, recipients must provide a 25 percent funding match.