Federal regulationCanada Gazette, Part IComment Period Closed
Railway Personnel Training and Qualifications Regulations
Sponsoring body: Transport, Dept. ofIntroduced December 14, 2024Last checked August 25, 2026
Read the official text on gazette.gc.caOfficial version — Canada Gazette, Part I
What this regulation does
These regulations replace Canada's 1987 railway employee training rules, modernizing training and certification standards for workers in safety-critical positions by adding new job categories, requiring experienced employees to be paired with newer workers, and mandating crew resource management (CRM) training across all training types.
Plain-language summary by Legisail.
Business impact
Compliance
All 21 federally regulated Canadian railway companies are affected, covering roughly 16,134 workers in roles like locomotive engineers, conductors, yard persons, remote control locomotive operators, and rail traffic controllers — as well as contractors and supervisors doing those jobs. The two biggest real compliance costs are integrating CRM training into all programs (2 extra hours per employee per year for companies already doing some CRM, 8 hours for those doing none) and implementing a pairing program so that workers with under two years of experience are always supported by a seasoned colleague. Total industry costs are estimated at $31.87 million over 12 years, with the three largest companies absorbing 83% of that bill because they employ 93% of affected workers. The 13 small railway businesses (those with under 100 employees or under $5 million in revenue) face a combined cost of about $3.95 million, or roughly $304,000 per small business over the period.
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Where this regulation is
Proposed
Comment period closed
Final publicationPending
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