Transport Canada adjusts rail worker training requirements

Transport Canada, the federal institution responsible for transportation policies and programs, has updated the regulations that govern training and certification standards in the rail sector.

The updated regulations aim to reduce the risk of workplace injuries, improve the safety of railway operations and ultimately reduce rail incidents and accidents, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.

The new Railway Personnel Training and Qualifications Regulations will go into effect in 2028, replacing the prior Railway Employees Qualification Standards Regulations, which have been in force since 1987.

Railway operations have evolved due to factors including new technologies, smaller crew sizes and accelerated training, so regulations related to these operations must also evolve, Transport Canada officials said.

Updates include the designation of remote-control locomotive operators and rail traffic controllers as critical for safe railway operations and expanded training requirements for safety-critical positions. Under the new regulations, any worker with less than two years of experience in a safety-critical position must have access at all times to a more experienced worker and railroad companies must maintain records of each employee’s training, examinations and evaluations.