Testimonials from Hearings Launched by MP Taylor Bachrach Form 33 Recommendation Report to Address Rail safety

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach is welcoming a newly released report on rail safety, which brought forward 33 recommendations.

In June of last year, Parliamentary hearings to form the report were launched by Bachrach, in order to expand upon a Follow-up Audit on Rail Safety released that March.

That audit looked in to the actions taken to improve rail safety in the 8 years since the Lac-Megantic disaster.

In the months since, the House Transportation Committee heard numerous witness testimonies to help address long standing gaps in rail safety.

Witness testimonies in the Northwest came from the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, Kitselas First Nation, and Friends of the Morice-Bulkley.

According to Bachrach, witnesses spoke on feeling powerless or ignored when trying to hold big rail companies accountable for safety, as well as criticism over Ottawa’s hands-off approach to regulation.

Some of the recommendations brought forward in the report include: strengthening operator fatigue management, reviewing safety system effectiveness and regulations, improving incident reporting requirements and complaint response, and more.

You can find a link to the full report at this link.