Canada issues orders to prevent parked rolling stock from rolling

The Canadian government has issued new orders that address uncontrolled movement of rail equipment.

Transport Canada said Wednesday that the orders, which will fall under the Railway Safety Act, are in response to the Feb. 1 derailment of a Goderich-Exeter Railway train in Goderich, Ontario.

The first order addresses air brakes. Under this order, railway companies will be required to implement certain procedures that locomotive engineers must follow to prevent the rollaway or uncontrolled movement of equipment because of an unintended release of the train’s air brakes.

The second order consists of two proposed amendments to the Railway Locomotive Inspection and Safety Rules and the Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR) that the transport minister must approve. 

The proposed amendments seek to improve performance standards for locomotives equipped with rollaway protection, which is a feature designed to apply the air brakes when movement is detected, and clarify the definition of an “unattended train” under the CROR so that the rule can be followed more consistently.