An Act to amend the Railway Safety Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Transportation Act (S.C. 2012, c. 7)
Full Document:
Assented to 2012-05-17
R.S., c. 32 (4th Supp.)RAILWAY SAFETY ACT
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 17
15. Section 23 of the Act is repealed.
Marginal note:1994, c. 15, s. 1(F)
16. (1) Paragraph 24(1)(f) of the Act is replaced by the following:
(f) for restricting or preventing, by means of fences, signs or any other means, access to the land on which a line of railway is situated by persons — other than employees or agents or mandataries of the railway company concerned, or of the local railway company authorized to operate railway equipment on the railway — or by vehicles or animals, if their presence on that land would constitute a threat to safe railway operations;
(2) Subsection 24(2) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Dommages-intérêts
(2) La compagnie de chemin de fer exploitant la voie ferrée contiguë à un terrain paie au propriétaire, au locataire ou à l’occupant de celui-ci ou des bâtiments ou autres ouvrages qui y sont situés, ou au propriétaire des mines ou autres installations qui y sont exploitées, les dommages-intérêts entraînés par l’application des règlements pris sous le régime du présent article, convenus entre elle et le propriétaire, le locataire ou l’occupant ou, à défaut d’entente, fixés aux termes de l’article 26.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 20(1)
17. (1) Subsection 25(1) of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Entry onto land adjoining line of railway
25. (1) For the purpose of preventing a threat to safe railway operations on a line of railway or restoring safe railway operations on a line of railway, a railway company may enter onto any land adjoining the land on which the line of railway is situated
(a) at any time, in order to maintain or alter railway works or remove obstructions to them, if no other access to the line of railway is reasonably available, and remain on the land for as long as is necessary to accomplish that purpose;
(b) at any time, in order to deal with any fire occurring on either of those lands;
(c) at any reasonable time, on giving notice in writing of its intention to do so to the owner of the adjoining land, in order to cut down trees or brush that has been permitted to grow on that land in contravention of regulations made under paragraph 24(1)(e); or
(d) at any time between November 1 and March 31, in order to install or maintain a snow fence.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 20(3)
(2) Subsections 25(2) and (3) of the French version of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Enlèvement de paraneiges
(2) La compagnie de chemin de fer fait enlever les paraneiges au plus tard le 1er avril suivant la date de leur installation.
Marginal note:Dommages-intérêts
(3) La compagnie de chemin de fer ou l’autorité responsable du service de voirie qui exerce les pouvoirs prévus au présent article paie au propriétaire, au locataire ou à l’occupant concerné les dommages-intérêts entraînés par cet exercice et convenus entre elle et ceux-ci ou, à défaut d’entente, fixés aux termes de l’article 26. Cet exercice n’est cependant pas subordonné au paiement préalable des dommages-intérêts.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 20.1
18. Section 26.2 of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Priorité aux trains
26.2 Les usagers de la route doivent, à tout franchissement routier, céder le passage au train dont l’approche a été adéquatement signalée.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 22
19. Subsection 27(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Designation
27. (1) The Minister may designate any person whom the Minister considers qualified as a railway safety inspector or a screening officer for the purposes of this Act and the Minister shall determine the matters in respect of which, and the restrictions or conditions under which, the person may exercise the powers of a railway safety inspector or screening officer.
Marginal note:Exercise of powers and duties
(1.1) When carrying out powers and duties under this Act, a person designated under subsection (1) is acting for and on behalf of the Minister.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 23
20. Paragraph 28(1)(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:
(a) for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this Act and with the regulations, emergency directives, rules, orders and security measures made under this Act, enter any place, other than a private dwelling-place, where activities are carried on that relate directly or indirectly to the operation or maintenance of a railway or the operation of railway equipment, and carry out any inspection that the inspector considers necessary in relation to the matters designated by the Minister under section 27 in respect of which the inspector may exercise the powers of a railway safety inspector;
21. (1) Subsection 31(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Inspector may forbid or restrict use of unsafe works or equipment
31. (1) If a railway safety inspector is of the opinion that the standard of construction or maintenance of a line work or railway equipment of a company poses a threat to safe railway operations, the inspector
(a) shall, by notice sent to the company, inform the company of that opinion and of the reasons for it; and
(b) may, in the notice, if the inspector is satisfied that the threat is immediate, order the company to ensure that the line work or railway equipment not be used, or not be used otherwise than under terms and conditions specified in the notice, until the threat is removed to the inspector’s satisfaction.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 24(1)
(2) Subsection 31(2) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Interdiction d’usage pour mauvais état d’ouvrages de franchissement
(2) L’inspecteur transmet au responsable de l’entretien d’ouvrages de franchissement un avis pour l’informer de son opinion et des motifs de celle-ci, lorsqu’il estime que les normes de construction ou d’entretien de ceux-ci risquent de compromettre la sécurité ferroviaire; il transmet aussi l’avis à la compagnie de chemin de fer concernée. S’il est convaincu que le risque est imminent, il peut en outre ordonner au responsable ou à la compagnie de chemin de fer, pour ce qui est de l’ouvrage de franchissement en cause, d’empêcher son utilisation ou de faire en sorte qu’il ne soit utilisé qu’à certaines conditions, tant que le risque ne lui paraîtra pas écarté.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 24(1)
(3) Subsection 31(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Inspector may forbid operation of certain works or equipment
(3) If a railway safety inspector is of the opinion that the operation of a line work or railway equipment threatens the safety or security of railway operations, the inspector, by notice sent to the company or to any other person who owns or leases the equipment,
(a) shall inform them of that opinion and of the reasons for it; and
(b) may, if the inspector is satisfied that the threat is immediate, order either of them to ensure that the line work or railway equipment not be operated, or not be operated otherwise than under specified terms and conditions, unless it is operated so as to remove the threat, to the inspector’s satisfaction.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 24(2)
(4) Subsections 31(6) and (7) of the English version of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Copies of certain notices to be served on supervisor
(6) If a notice sent to a company under this section contains an order, the railway safety inspector who sent the notice shall send a copy of it to the company supervisor who is directly responsible for the works or equipment concerned or, in the absence of that supervisor, to the employee who is at that time in charge of the works or equipment concerned.
Marginal note:Effect of order
(7) An order contained in a notice under this section has effect, in the case of a company, when the company receives the notice or when a company supervisor or employee receives a copy of it, whichever occurs first and, in the case of any other person, when they receive the notice.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 24(3)
(5) Subsection 31(10) of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:When alteration or revocation effective
(10) An alteration or revocation of an order under this section has effect when the company or other person to whom the original notice was sent receives a notice of the alteration or revocation.
Marginal note:2001, c. 29, s. 67
22. Subsection 31.1(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Request for review of order of railway safety inspector
31.1 (1) A person who is sent a notice under section 31 that contains an order may, on or before the date specified in the notice or within any further time that the Tribunal on application allows, file a written request for a review of the order.
Marginal note:2001, c. 29, s. 67
23. Section 31.5 of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:When alteration or revocation effective
31.5 An alteration or revocation under section 31.4 has effect when the company or other person to whom notice of the order under section 31 was sent receives notice of the alteration or revocation.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 25
24. Subsections 32(3) and (3.1) of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Contravention of regulations under section 24
(3) If the Minister is of the opinion that a person has contravened a regulation made under section 24, the Minister
(a) by notice sent to the person,
(i) shall inform the person of that opinion and of the reasons for it, and
(ii) may, if the Minister believes that, by reason of that contravention, there exists in respect of particular railway works an immediate threat to safe railway operations, order the person to take any action that is necessary to remove the threat; and
(b) by notice sent to the railway company concerned,
(i) shall inform the railway company of that opinion and of the reasons for it, and
(ii) may, if the Minister believes that, by reason of that contravention, there exists an immediate threat to safe railway operations, order the railway company to ensure that specified railway works or specified railway equipment not be used, or not be used otherwise than under terms and conditions specified in the notice, until appropriate action to remove the threat has, to the Minister’s satisfaction, been taken by the person referred to in paragraph (a).
Marginal note:Safety management system deficiencies
(3.1) If the Minister is of the opinion that the safety management system established by a company has deficiencies that risk compromising railway safety, the Minister may, by notice sent to the company, order the company to take the necessary corrective measures.
Marginal note:2001, c. 29, s. 69
25. Subsection 32.1(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Request for review
32.1 (1) A person who is sent a notice under section 32 that contains an order may, on or before the date specified in the notice or within any further time that the Tribunal on application allows, file a written request for a review of the order.
Marginal note:2001, c. 29, s. 69
26. Section 32.5 of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:When alteration or revocation effective
32.5 An alteration or revocation under section 32.4 has effect when the company or other person to whom notice of the order under section 32 was sent receives notice of the alteration or revocation.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 26(1)
27. (1) Subsection 33(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Minister may send emergency directives
33. (1) If the Minister is of the opinion that there is an immediate threat to safe railway operations or the security of railway transportation, the Minister may, by emergency directive sent to a company, order it
(a) either absolutely or to the extent specified in the directive, to stop using the kind of railway works or railway equipment or following the maintenance or operating practice that poses the threat; or
(b) to follow a maintenance or operating practice specified in the directive if the threat is posed by the company’s failure to follow that practice.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 26(2)
(2) Subsections 33(4) to (6) of the English version of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Minister may rescind emergency directives
(4) The Minister may, by notice sent to the company, rescind an emergency directive, in which case the directive ceases to have effect.
Marginal note:Inconsistency between emergency directives, regulations, rules or orders
(5) In the event that there is an inconsistency between an emergency directive and a regulation made under subsection 18(1) or (2.1) or a rule in force under section 19 or 20, the emergency directive prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.
Marginal note:Minister may renew emergency directives
(6) The Minister may, before the expiration of the period during which an emergency directive has effect, by notice sent to the company, renew the directive for a further specified period commencing on the expiration of the previous period and not exceeding six months and, if the Minister does so, this section, except this subsection, applies to the directive as renewed.
28. Subsection 34(2) of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Orders of railway safety inspectors
(2) For the purpose of enabling an order contained in a notice served on a company or person by a railway safety inspector to be enforced as an order of a court under this section, the Minister may, by notice sent to that company or person, confirm that order, and that order after that has effect as an order of the Minister.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 27
29. (1) Subsection 35(2) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Avertissement médical
(2) Le médecin ou l’optométriste qui a des motifs raisonnables de croire que son patient occupe un tel poste doit, si à son avis l’état de l’intéressé risque de compromettre cette sécurité, en informer sans délai, par avis écrit motivé, tout médecin ou optométriste désigné par la compagnie de chemin de fer, après avoir pris des mesures raisonnables pour en informer d’abord son patient. Le patient est présumé avoir consenti à cette communication et une copie de l’avis lui est transmise sans délai.
(2) Subsection 35(4) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Utilisation des renseignements
(4) La compagnie de chemin de fer peut faire, des renseignements communiqués aux termes du paragraphe (2), l’usage qu’elle estime nécessaire pour la sécurité ferroviaire.
Marginal note:1999, c. 9, s. 29
30. Section 37 of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Power to require information
36. The Minister may order that a company provide, in the specified form and within the specified period, information or documents that he or she considers necessary for the purposes of ensuring compliance with this Act and with the regulations, rules, orders, standards and emergency directives made under this Act.
Marginal note:Maintenance and production of safety records
37. (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) respecting the keeping and preservation by each company of information, records and documents relevant to the safety of railway operations conducted by that company, including a complete set of the regulations, emergency directives, rules and orders made pursuant to this Act that are applicable to that company;
(b) respecting the filing with the Minister at the request of the Minister of information, records and documents kept and preserved pursuant to regulations made under paragraph (a); and
(c) respecting notification to the Minister by companies of information suitable for monitoring safety performance or predicting potential changes in levels of safety, including information about any accident or incident associated with railway safety or any situation that could have a detrimental impact on safety performance.
Marginal note:Application
(2) A regulation made under this section may be general or applicable to a group or class of companies.
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