Transport Canada Announces Requirements on Freight Rail Data

Transport Canada has announced that it will be requiring major railways to provide more service and performance information as a way to strengthen supply chains. The railways are also being required to provide waybill information (such as origin, destination, weight) and traffic data (such as number of carloads, goods, and car types).  The announced amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations are intended to increase supply chain transparency and create a better understanding of the performance of Canada’s freight rail sector for the benefit of all rail users.

These amendments aim to strengthen the accountability of freight rail service providers, by requiring major railways to provide Transport Canada with enhanced service and performance information. This information will significantly enhance the value of the information being collected and it will be published weekly on the Government of Canada’s Transportation Data and Information Hub to provide Canadians with a better picture of end-to-end freight rail performance.

Major railways will also provide Transport Canada with additional data to support targeted public policy and other regulatory purposes, including waybill information (such as origin, destination, weight) and traffic data (such as number of carloads, goods, and car types). These changes will come into force on April 4, 2023, and will significantly expand upon the service and performance data currently collected following the implementation of the Transportation Modernization Act of 2018.