Canada issues new rail safety rules, RAC says

Canadian Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt in late December approved new or revised rules concerning the safety and security of unattended locomotives, uncontrolled train movements and crew sizes, according to the Railway Association of Canada (RAC).

The rules provide an additional layer of safety to the rail industry by clearly articulating what a train crew is required to do to secure equipment or a train, RAC officials said in a press release. They address how equipment is left when switching en route, how unattended engines need to be secured to prevent unauthorized entry and what specific steps must be taken when a train crew leaves a train unattended.

The new rules allow unattended equipment to be secured by air brakes a maximum of two hours; require that unattended engines be secured by either hand brakes or air brakes, provided the train will not be left in excess of two hours and on a grade exceeding 1.25 percent; and instruct railroads to have special instructions on ways to test the effectiveness of hand brakes.