Railway Training and Qualification Rules

Summary#

This is a proposal from Transport Canada to replace the old Railway Employee Qualification Standards Regulations with the new Railway Personnel Training and Qualifications Regulations under the Railway Safety Act. If adopted, the rules would raise and standardize training for safety‑critical railway jobs, add two job types, require pairing of less experienced workers with experienced staff, and set record‑keeping and evaluation rules; the department estimates implementation costs of $32.01 million. This is a proposal (not law yet) and there is a comment period of 30 days after the Canada Gazette publication on December 14, 2024.

What it does#

• Expands the list of “positions critical to safe railway operations” to include remote control locomotive operators and rail traffic controllers, in addition to locomotive engineers, conductors, transfer hostlers and yard persons.
• Requires that anyone doing those duties hold a certificate and that people with less than two years of experience in the job be paired with a certificate holder who has at least two years’ recent experience.
• Updates training types required:
  • keeps knowledge training and on‑the‑job training (OJT);
  • adds formal familiarization training and continuing training;
  • adds a “non‑exercise of duties” rule that triggers retraining after 12 months away from the job.
• Requires crew resource management (CRM) material (teamwork, communication, situational awareness, decision‑making) to be built into all training.
• Sets testing and evaluation rules:
  • passing mark of 80% for exams/evaluations;
  • instructors/evaluators must have recent experience and a 90% mark in their own exam/evaluation.
• Prohibits using simulators for the formal evaluation of competence.
• Requires companies to keep a training record for each person for at least six years.
• Keeps certificates valid for three years and allows companies flexibility in certificate format (paper or electronic).
• Repeals the existing REQSR and replaces it with the proposed Regulations; the new rules would come into force two years after they are registered.

Who's affected#

• All federally regulated railway companies operating on Canada’s federal rail network. The analysis looked at 21 Canadian companies and some U.S. operators that run in Canada.
• Workers in the named safety‑critical jobs: locomotive engineers, conductors, transfer hostlers, yard persons, remote control locomotive operators, and rail traffic controllers — including contractors and supervisors who perform those duties.
• Small rail companies: 13 small businesses were identified as affected, with estimated costs to small businesses of $3.95 million over the analysis period.
• The federal government (for inspector training and slightly longer inspections), with estimated costs of $140,401.
• Others indirectly affected: communities and rail customers that would benefit from safer operations if the rules reduce incidents.

Why it matters#

• The rules aim to reduce accidents caused by human error by standardizing training and making sure less experienced staff get on‑the‑job time with experienced workers. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has recommended updates like these after past investigations.
• Transport Canada estimates total implementation costs of $32.01 million between 2025 and 2036, mostly borne by the railway companies. The government says the safety benefits are expected but not fully monetized.
• The department calculated a break‑even point: averting about 36 in‑scope occurrences per year (a 28.34% drop) would offset the estimated costs. The actual safety payoff is uncertain and depends on how much incidents fall after the rules take effect.
• Practical effects for workers and employers include more training time (including CRM), new pairing and record‑keeping duties, periodic re‑testing, and limits on using simulators for formal assessments. Companies get a two‑year transition window to prepare.
• This is a proposal open for comment. It is not law yet, and the details could change during the consultation and final rulemaking.