Taylor Bachrach, MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley and the NDP’s transportation critic, is speaking out about rail safety in response to the Transportation Safety Board’s findings conected to the fatal derailment in Field that left three dead.
The report, realeased Thursday (March 31), highlighted what Bachrach called a ‘hands-off approach’ to rail safety from the federal government, which he says allows rail companies to self-monitor and self-investigate incidents such as these.
“I was watching the press conference yesterday and thinking about the families of the three men and what they’ve gone through and just how infuriating and frustrating it must be to see so little regard given to the safety of railroaders,” Bachrach said in a phone interview Friday morning.
“This is an issue that affects thousands of men and women across our country who work on trains and my hope is that justice will be served and that regulations will be put in place to finally hold the rail companies accountable.”
The report made three recommendations to increase safety and prevent incidents like in Field, stating that the implementation of automatic parking brakes and asking that Transport Canada establish and enhance test standards and time-based maintenance for cars operating on steep grades and in cold.
It also recommended CP Rail address their culture of safety management and risk assessment.
READ MORE: TSB finds fatal B.C. train derailment caused by cold weather, brake failure
In question period following the report, Bachrach called on the Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to act, and says that he felt the ministers response came up short.
“We’re going to examine [the report] and act upon it and build on the interim measures that we put in place after it happened,” said Alghabra in response.
“I want to ensure every member of this house and every Canadian know that safety is our top priority and we will continue to do everything that we can to maintain the highest level of safety here in Canada.”
Bachrach continues to have concerns, however, highlighting a train derailment that occurred on the same line in late January 2021 that left nearby townsite Field without power for 30 hours. Bachrach said that the car was parked on the same stretch of tracks, without handbrakes applied, and that Transport Canada called it a ‘near miss’ at the time and could have become another fatal incident.
“It’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that there are rules in place to protect railroaders,” said Bachrach.
“Our focus is on the Minster of Transport and ensuring that he acts in a concerted way to prevent any future accidents like the one that took these three mens.”
As transport critic, Bachrach is able to initiate parliamentary hearings on rail safety, which have been occurring over the last year. He is also part of a committee that is in the process of drafting a report that will include addressing safety management systems used by rail companies that are failing to create safe work conditions.
“I think many Canadians would be horrified to know these companies have their own police forces to investigate themselves, there’s zero accountability.”
The report is expected to be completed in the next month or so.
Bachrach also says that he’s glad that a criminal investigation is ongoing, and that he hopes that the families of the deceased get justice.
Black Press Media has reached out to the Liberals for comment.
