(CBC News circulated the following article on April 30.)
VANCOUVER — B.C. NDP transportation critic David Chudnovsky has taken his demands for better railway safety regulations to Ottawa, following a series of fatal train accidents in the province.
Chudnovsky says both the federal and provincial governments have failed to ensure safety along the CN and Canadian Pacific Railway corridors in the most mountainous area of the country.
h”It’s the responsibility of the federal goverment and our provincial ministry of transportation and the minister, Mr. Falcon, to make sure that the people of the province feel safe,” he said.
Just last week, a CPR train engineer died in a derailment in the southeastern B.C. city of Trail.
Last year, two CN train workers died when their engine plunged off a cliff north of Lillooet in the Fraser Canyon.
In 2005, half a million fish died when a CN train derailed and spilled caustic soda in the Cheakamus River about 30 kilometres north of Squamish.
“People who live in CN railway corridors in this province have every right not to feel safe,” said Chudnovsky, taking aim at CN which took over the BC Rail lines from the provincial government in 2003.
But the Teamsters Union local representing railway workers says CPR doesn’t have a spotless record, either.
Union spokesman Louis Wilson noted both companies have made deep cuts in the number of maintenance and safety workers they employ.
“The railways are increasing their numbers of trains. And the amount of monies that they’re putting back into infrastructure simply isn’t there.”
Both CN and CPR have made improvements recently. They’ve hired more workers, and accidents are down this year from last.
But Chudnovsky maintains that the long-term trend shows stronger regulations are needed.
The NDP MLA is testifying about his concerns at a parliamentary hearing which resumes in Ottawa on Monday.