Locomotive Voice and Video Recorders Effective Date

Summary#

This Order (published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on September 2, 2020) sets the coming‑into‑force date for parts of the Transportation Modernization Act that require on‑board voice and video recorders on locomotives. It fixes the day as the second anniversary of the date this Order is published (so effectively September 2, 2022), giving rail companies time to install the equipment. The explanatory note says this timing gives two years after the publication of the new Locomotive Voice and Video Recorder Regulations for implementation.

What it does#

• Brings into force sections 61 to 67 of the Transportation Modernization Act, which change rail safety law.
• Those sections amend the Railway Safety Act to require federally regulated rail companies to fit locomotives with recording instruments (voice and video), to record certain information, and to collect and preserve that data.
• They also amend the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act so that recordings are treated as privileged for investigation purposes and their use is limited by law.
• The new Locomotive Voice and Video Recorder Regulations (supporting rules) set technical standards, placement and quality rules for cameras/microphones, crashworthiness and environmental requirements, and rules about how recordings can be accessed, randomly selected, used, shared and destroyed.
• The order gives railways time to comply — the government expects an average purchase-and-install cost of about $26,602 per locomotive, plus ongoing maintenance and training costs.

Who's affected#

• Federally regulated rail companies and their contractors, who must buy and install the equipment and manage the data.
• Locomotive crews and their unions, because in‑cab voice and video will record workplace activity and there are differing views on how recordings should be used.
• Transport Canada, which will enforce the rules and can use recordings for safety analysis in some cases.
• The Transportation Safety Board, whose investigation role and access to recordings is protected by the changes.
• Manufacturers and service companies that make, install, test or maintain recorder systems.
• The general public indirectly, through the potential safety outcomes of the changes.

Why it matters#

• It gives the rail sector a clear deadline (about two years) to install recording equipment, rather than leaving the timing open.
• In practice, recordings aim to improve safety by helping investigators and companies understand causes of accidents and by supporting proactive safety fixes.
• The rules create a balance between using recordings for safety work and protecting recorded information from other uses; unions and companies have disagreed on how far company access should go.
• There will be a direct cost to rail companies (and therefore potentially to customers or operations) to equip and maintain recorders, but supporters expect safety benefits and fewer accidents over time.