CN, Montreal officials pledge increased focus on safety

CN and city of Montreal officials yesterday announced a plan to strengthen railroad safety efforts.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre and CN Executive Vice­ President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer Sean Finn met at the Class I's Montreal headquarters to discuss strengthening their "partnership" on safety matters, according to a CN press release.

One way that CN and Montreal collaborate on safety is the railroad's practice of providing the city's civil protection center with detailed reports on rail transportation of dangerous goods. With new regulations in place, the partnership will grow stronger, officials said.

For example, Coderre invited other cities in Quebec to use the AskRail mobile application that gives emergency first responders access to information in the event of a rail incident.

Also, the Montreal Police Department and CN police will step up accident-prevention efforts at rail crossings.

"What's more, CN and the city of Montreal will join efforts to better protect the rail network against malicious acts," said Finn.