top of page

Canadian Transit Rail Standardization Program

Canada map for Standards.png

TRACCS is supporting the creation of a body of standards for the Canadian railway environment, which will provide clear guidance on engineering specifications, safety management in operational railway environments, and competency requirements for passenger rail work. Our goal is to enhance safety, improve constructability, reduce costs, and ensure project timelines are met.

Upcoming Events

TRACCS Transit and Rail's goal is to support standardization of competency and training practices, leveraging international best practices and lessons learned to help prepare Canada's growing rail workforce to work safely and efficiently.

We're proud to have engaged with

CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association)

as part of this work.

TRACCS is prioritizing the most critical topics first as part of our strategy to support standardization, leveraging international best practices and lessons learned to ensure the most important issues are addressed efficiently and in a timely manner.

Over the past few years, TRACCS has held several STAR workshops with CSA Group in Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary, as well as at Rail Day in Toronto. These workshops brought our members together to contribute their expertise and insight to the discussions, helping shape a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Canada's transit and passenger rail sector.

This ongoing engagement continues to inform how TRACCS supports the industry moving forward.

What Our Members Can Do​

​

  • SPONSOR 

  • Participate in our Round Tables (coming soon)

  • Join our Volunteer Group;

  • Offer feedback via surveys;

  • Recommend experts in the subject matters dealt with so we reach out to them;

  • Volunteer your team members' time to contribute to this endeavour.

Why?

Following years of limited investment in transit and passenger rail infrastructure, Canada is now entering a pivotal era of long-overdue and ambitious expansion. While this renewed focus on rail represents a significant opportunity, the ability to deliver projects that meet international standards for cost-efficiency and timely completion must be markedly improved in order to maintain momentum and reinforce both public trust and political commitment.

​

Canada’s infrastructure deficit—decades in the making—has resulted in escalating congestion in metropolitan areas, posing risks to the country’s economic competitiveness and diminishing the quality of life for many Canadians. This prolonged period of underinvestment has also weakened the nation’s institutional capacity, eroded technical expertise, and constrained the availability of skilled labour—factors that now hinder the pace of progress.

​

In recognition of these challenges, TRACCS Transit and Rail, in partnership with CSA Group, convened a landmark forum in Montreal, bringing together more than 120 experts from across Canada and internationally. The event served as a foundational step toward supporting standardization — leveraging international best practices and lessons learned — to guide the planning, procurement, construction, maintenance, and safety of rail projects nationwide.

Action: Our First Standards Event

Getting Back On Track! | Reprendre la bonne voie!

Standards and Policy Solutions for Major Transit & Passenger Rail Infrastructure Projects

Feuille de route de normes et politiques pour traiter des principaux défis des grands projets d’infrastructure ferroviaire transport et voyageurs au Canada.

 A workshop co-hosted by CSA Group and TRACCS to discuss how to build robust standards and policy frameworks to strengthen the transit and passenger rail ecosystem. 

 

The workshop aimed to:

  • Explore the challenges facing Canada’s transit and passenger rail infrastructure projects

  • Discuss practical, low-cost solutions to address systemic issues in the design and construction of these projects

  • Examine how governments can leverage standards in developing policies and strategic roadmaps for the transit and passenger rail ecosystem

 

Feb 06, 2025, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Hotel Bonaventure, Montréal,

900 Rue De la Gauchetière O, Montréal, QC H5A 1E4, Canada

Results: 

​​​

  • 6 hours of learning, debate, discussion and networking

  • Furthering the understanding of the challenges posed by the absence of national standards.

  • 140 professionals with something to contribute

  • Engagement from some government bodies​​

  • Open registration for the work groups for the development of the next stages of the program.​​

Work Groups Established:

     -   Standards Strategy Work Group
     -   Policy, Training and Implementation Work Group
     -   Standards Funding Work Group
     -   Standard Development Committees

Train approaching to station in downtown of Toronto at sunrise

MISSION

TRACCS' mission is to stabilize cost and ensure adequate and qualified resources to perform the work safely and efficiently.

​

We aim to achieve:

 

  • Improved and consistent safety standards in the field for rail safety

  • Coordinated and proper training for workers within the unions, colleges and universities

  • Advocacy for proper certification and assurances for companies to work in rail environments

  • Opportunity to share best practices within the industry

  • Networking

  • Ongoing training and technology updates from around the world

bottom of page