Stewarding a National Framework for Passenger Rail in Canada
Canada’s growing investment in transit and passenger rail presents an important opportunity to strengthen domestic expertise, expand industry capabilities, and build a resilient rail mobility ecosystem that that supports long-term economic prosperity.
TRACCS is working to steward a National Framework for Passenger Rail in Canada—a shared foundation through which industry, government, academia and other partners can align around common priorities, address sector-wide challenges and help build the knowledge and capacity Canada needs to deliver world-class rail systems.
Adapted to the Canadian context and informed by proven international practices, this framework is intended to support a safer, more consistent, better-connected and future-ready passenger rail sector.
Turning Advocacy into Action
As a nonprofit created by and for the industry, TRACCS responds to real, sector-identified needs. We bring together industry expertise, public-sector perspectives, research and practical experience to move beyond identifying challenges and toward developing coordinated, sector-informed solutions.
Our role is to open lines of dialogue, identify areas of alignment and help translate collective knowledge into practical recommendations, resources and programs that can benefit the industry as a whole.
This is how we unite Canada’s rail industry, turn advocacy into action and advance a National Framework for Passenger Rail in Canada.
Creating Platforms for Dialogue and Growth
Progress depends on giving people across the sector meaningful opportunities to exchange knowledge, examine challenges and learn from one another.
Through Webinar Wednesday, TRACCS Explained, workshops, industry reports and conferences—including Rail Day and the Traction Power Conference—TRACCS creates platforms for dialogue on:
Safety · Innovation · Sustainability · Cost Efficiency
National Standards · Best Practices · Lessons Learned
These conversations are designed to produce more than awareness. We work to capture knowledge, share outcomes and turn collective expertise into practical value for the wider industry.
Building the Framework Together
Stewarding a national framework is a collaborative undertaking. By connecting expertise, talent, innovation, research and supply-chain partners across the country, TRACCS helps strengthen Canadian capabilities while fostering open, respectful and solutions-oriented collaboration.
Every initiative, workshop, report and industry conversation contributes to the same larger objective: a safer, stronger and more resilient passenger rail sector supported by a National Framework for Passenger Rail in Canada.
Explore each area of our STAR initiatives below.
Our STAR Initiatives
Our principal areas of work are organized under STAR: Standards, Training, Assurance & Insurance, and Research & Insights.
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Standards support greater consistency, interoperability and alignment across the sector.
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Training helps build the knowledge, skills and workforce capacity required to meet current and future industry needs.
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Assurance & Insurance strengthen accountability, risk management and confidence while supporting work toward more accessible and competitive insurance solutions.
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Research & Insights bring together evidence, expertise and industry perspectives to inform decisions, share knowledge and advance best practices.
These areas are interconnected. Standards inform training and assurance; training develops the capability to apply those standards; assurance provides greater visibility into qualifications and practices; and research captures what the sector is learning and identifies where further action is needed.
Together, the STAR initiatives provide the practical building blocks for turning this shared national objective into coordinated industry action.
Canadian Transit Rail Standardization Program
We are addressing the urgent need for national standards to build, operate and maintain passenger rail through collaborative work and discussions at every level.
In collaboration with CSA (Canadian Standards Association) & LRSSB (Light Rail Safety and Standards Board)
STAR Workshops
The STAR workshops — dedicated to Standards, Training, and Assurance in Rail — serve as a platform for the industry to come together around some of its most pressing issues. These sessions convene a wide range of stakeholders, creating space not only to examine challenges in depth but also to identify where interests and priorities align. By fostering open dialogue and collaboration, the workshops aim to move the sector toward practical, shared solutions that strengthen safety, performance, and accountability across the rail system.
Select In-Person Events:
The Canadian Rail Road Tour
STAR Workshop in Calgary - SOLD OUT
October 21st, 2025
STAR Workshop in Vancouver - SOLD OUT
January 19th, 2026
STAR Workshop in Montréal - SOLD OUT
May 29th, 2026
More STAR Tour Locations Coming Soon
