Statement by Minister of Transport following the Canadian Pacific Rail accident in Guernsey, Saskatchewan on February 6, 2020

February 6, 2020    Ottawa, Ontario    Transport Canada

The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, issued the following statement today on his issuing a Ministerial Order to immediately slow down trains carrying dangerous goods across the country:

“I am very concerned about the derailments of railway cars containing dangerous goods in the past 12 months. That is why I am issuing an immediate order to slow trains carrying significant quantities of dangerous goods on federally regulated railway tracks across Canada. 

“This Ministerial Order under the Railway Safety Act, requires the slowdown of key trains (which contain 20 or more cars carrying dangerous goods). In metropolitan areas, these trains will be limited to 20 mph. Outside these areas, trains will be limited to 25 mph.

“The Order will be in effect at midnight on Friday, February 7^th, and will be in place for 30 days. It may be altered at any time based on new information.

“I have said that rail safety remains my top priority. This is a precautionary measure being taken today, as we are seeing similarities between today’s accident in Guernsey, Saskatchewan, and other recent accidents such as weather conditions and speed. I have asked my officials to examine all issues related to these accidents to determine if additional safety measures will be required.

“I recognize there are economic impacts, but I cannot compromise on safety. I will not hesitate to take further swift action as is necessary.”