No. H03S/99                  For release
April 21, 1999 

TRANSPORT MINISTER ATTENDS INAUGURAL MEETING OF RAILWAY SAFETY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

AYLMER, Que.—Transport Minister David Collenette today attended the inaugural meeting of the Railway Safety Consultative Committee, a permanent committee composed of Transport Canada officials and rail safety stakeholders.

"The need for ongoing dialogue among all parties involved in rail transportation activities is obvious," said Mr. Collenette. "This committee offers an excellent forum for discussion of ways to meet the challenge of improving rail safety in Canada."

The Committee, which is chaired by Transport Canada's director general of railway safety, will meet biannually. Membership is open to persons and groups with an interest in rail safety, such as railway companies, associations and unions.

The establishment of the Committee is one of a number of new railway safety measures. Others are: increasing safety at railway crossings through more stringent visibility standards; reducing trespassing on railway tracks through a variety of measures, such as fencing and information and awareness activities; and enhancing passenger safety on trains through on-board safety announcements.

The Committee was established following an intensive period of stakeholder consultation to develop amendments to the Railway Safety Act, which received royal assent on March 25, 1999. These amendments are designed to fully modernize the legislative and regulatory framework of Canada's rail transportation system.

"I am proud of the collaboration with our partners on these innovative efforts to further improve rail safety in Canada," said Mr. Collenette. "The Government of Canada is committed to forging partnerships among all players in Canada's rail transportation industry and finding ways to unite our common safety objectives."

Contact: Peter Gregg, Communications Advisor

Office of the Minister, Ottawa (613) 991-0700

Transport Canada is online at http://www.tc.gc.ca/.

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