Railway fine increases and boat wording update

Summary#

These final amendments change the Contraventions Regulations. They raise the ticket fines for two offences under the Railway Safety Act and update the short-form ticket wording to reflect a change about electric boats. The regulations came into force on June 10, 2021 and were published in the Canada Gazette on June 23, 2021.

What it does#

• Raises the fines for two contraventions listed under the Railway Safety Act:
  • Entering land where railway line work is located (section 26.1): fine increased from $100 to $500.
  • Failing to give way to railway equipment at a road crossing (section 26.2): fine increased from $150 to $750.
• Updates the short-form offence description in the Contraventions Regulations so it matches a recent change to the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations. The new wording explicitly covers electrically propelled vessels with aggregate maximum power greater than 7.5 kW.
• Does not create any new offences or add new operational restrictions. It changes fine amounts and ticket wording only.

Who's affected#

• People who trespass on or interfere with railway property, and drivers who fail to yield at rail crossings. These are the groups most likely to face the higher fines.
• Enforcement officers and agencies that issue contravention tickets (policy and enforcement was coordinated with Transport Canada).
• Recreational boaters and operators of electric vessels only to the extent that the updated ticket description reflects an existing restriction on higher-power electric boats; it does not itself add new boating rules.
• The rules say small businesses are not expected to be affected; the source does not identify other groups beyond those above.

Why it matters#

• Higher fines aim to make ticketing a stronger deterrent against trespassing, vandalism, sabotage, and actions that could block or impede trains. That is intended to improve public safety and protect railway infrastructure.
• The change to the boat wording is technical: it keeps the short description on tickets consistent with the underlying boating regulation so tickets are clear and match the law.
• These are enforcement-tool changes (fines and wording) rather than new criminal offences or new operational bans.