OFA hosted a webinar on Farm Safety and Rail Crossings on June 17, 2021. This webinar is recommended for members who have private grade crossings that are affected by the Grade Crossings Regulations.
This webinar included presentations from Li-Lian Lui, P.Eng., M.Eng., PMP, who has worked in the railway industry for over 10 years, as well as Daniel Goodfellow, PMP, NCSO, Operations Director for Partum Consulting Inc.
To view the bio’s for Li-Lian Lui and Daniel Goodfellow, please click here.
In March 2019, Transport Canada amended its Grade Crossing Regulations resulting in new requirements that all public and private railway crossings must follow. The purpose of the improvements is to enhance safety measures related to sightlines and grade levels. Existing federally regulated grade crossings were to meet the requirements of the Grade Crossings Regulations by November 28, 2021.
However, on June 18, 2021, Transport Canada proposed additional amendments to the Grade Crossing Regulations which would establish new compliance deadlines to meet the requirements of the Regulations based on the various levels of risks posed by grade crossings. This includes:
- a one-year extension for existing public grade crossings which present a higher risk;
- a three-year extension for all remaining public and all private grade crossings; and
- an exclusion from the construction and maintenance requirements for very low-risk grade crossings (such as field-to-field crossings with minimal train traffic).
More information on these new regulations is available on the Private Railway Crossings and Grade Crossing Regulations section of OFA’s Farm Property issues webpage.