 Feds
and RAC Sign New Agreement on Railway Security
Published: November 15, 2007
Source: Railway Association of Canada
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Ottawa - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities and Mr. Cliff Mackay, president and chief
executive officer of the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), today
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen railway
security.
"The safety and security of the travelling public are top priorities for
the Government of Canada and much has been accomplished to enhance
transportation security in the past few years," said Minister Cannon. "I
am pleased that our strong working relationship with the Railway
Association of Canada has led to the development of a new railway
security Memorandum of Understanding that will benefit all Canadians."
"This agreement demonstrates the trust and respect that exist between
Canada's government and the railway industry in this critical area of
Canada's security," said Mr. Mackay. "Security is part of the industry's
work every day, at every level of our freight and passenger operations,
throughout the whole network."
This MOU replaces the one signed by the RAC and Transport Canada in July
1997. It is one of a series of security measures implemented in the last
few years to enhance the security of rail and transit operations. The
updated MOU primarily addresses security of freight rail and complements
the security measures being implemented for passenger operations through
the Transit–Secure program.
The main component of the new MOU is that each railway operator who is a
member of RAC will prepare a security plan based on risk assessment.
These plans will be provided to the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities and each will be reviewed no less than
once a year. The MOU also includes important elements, such as
maintaining records, performing exercises and drills, appropriate
training and awareness for new employees, and reporting incidents to the
Minister as soon as possible.
The MOU reflects the core principles and best practices of the railway
industry. It is an important voluntary action by RAC members to enhance
the security of rail operations.
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