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Shippers hope railway regulation ahoy

Friday, 09 April 2010 11:31

By Scott Deveau, Financial Post

April 6, 2010

Canadian shippers are heralding a new report as further evidence that some sort of added regulation is required from Ottawa to improve service levels at the country’s largest railways.

The report is the fourth and final one prepared for Ottawa as part of its Rail Freight Service Review that could potentially lead to greater oversight of Canada’s freight rail sector when the recommendations of the commission are submitted to Parliament this fall.

The first three reports have painted a damning picture of customer service in the sector. About 45% of the shippers surveyed during the review complained that service levels at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has deteriorated in the past three years.

More than 60% also said they had suffered a “significant” financial loss, often in the millions, as a result of the poor service.

Canadian Pacific nabs Ed Harris as VP from rival CN

Friday, 09 April 2010 11:27

April 7, 2010

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., the country's second biggest railroad, has appointed former Canadian National Railway Co. senior executive Ed Harris as its executive vice-president and chief operations officer.

The top operations job at CP covers all the company's rail, safety, customer service, engineering and mechanical activities across Canada and in the U.S.

Harris, with more than 30 years of management experience in the North American railroad industry, has been a consultant since retiring in 2007 from CN, where he was executive vice-president of operations. He has since provided consulting services to several North American railroads, including CP.

Jane O'Hagan, formerly senior vice-president, strategy and yield, takes over as CP's senior vice-president, marketing and sales, and chief marketing officer. In effect she adds sales responsibility to her current portfolio of strategy, marketing and corporate communications, CP said. She joined CP in 2002.

Review rail safety after derailments

Friday, 02 April 2010 14:18

The Ottawa Citizen, April 2

The derailment of another CN freight train in Pickering on March 30 is but another incident in the long list of derailments, crossing accidents, and collisions that have plagued Canada's two major railroads dating back to 1999, when Transport Canada largely gave up its regulatory oversight role.

In a plea to improve safety in the rail industry, William Brehl, president of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference's Maintenance of Way Employees Division, wrote, "Can't we aim higher? Can't we try to be safer? Maybe as safe as railroads in Europe? Can't our goal be one derailment a week or a month, instead of one per day in Canada?"

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