Canada Transportation Act

Marginal note:Complaint and investigation concerning company’s obligations

• 116 (1) On receipt of a complaint made by any person that a railway company is not fulfilling any of its service obligations, the Agency shall

  • (a) conduct, as expeditiously as possible, an investigation of the complaint that, in its opinion, is warranted; and

  • (b) within one hundred and twenty days after receipt of the complaint, determine whether the company is fulfilling that obligation.

• Marginal note:Confidential contract binding on Agency

  (2) If a company and a shipper agree, by means of a confidential contract, on the manner in which service obligations under section 113 are to be fulfilled by the company, the terms of that agreement are binding on the Agency in making its determination.

• Marginal note:Competitive line rate provisions binding on Agency

  (3) If a shipper and a company agree under subsection 136(4) on the manner in which the service obligations are to be fulfilled by the local carrier, the terms of the agreement are binding on the Agency in making its determination.

• Marginal note:Orders of Agency

  (4) If the Agency determines that a company is not fulfilling any of its service obligations, the Agency may

  • (a) order that

    • (i) specific works be constructed or carried out,

    • (ii) property be acquired,

    • (iii) cars, motive power or other equipment be allotted, distributed, used or moved as specified by the Agency, or

    • (iv) any specified steps, systems or methods be taken or followed by the company;

  • (b) specify in the order the maximum charges that may be made by the company in respect of the matter so ordered;

  • (c) order the company to fulfil that obligation in any manner and within any time or during any period that the Agency deems expedient, having regard to all proper interests, and specify the particulars of the obligation to be fulfilled;

  • (d) if the service obligation is in respect of a grain-dependent branch line listed in Schedule I, order the company to add to the plan it is required to prepare under subsection 141(1) an indication that it intends to take steps to discontinue operating the line; or

  • (e) if the service obligation is in respect of a grain-dependent branch line listed in Schedule I, order the company, on the terms and conditions that the Agency considers appropriate, to grant to another railway company the right

    • (i) to run and operate its trains over and on any portion of the line, and

    • (ii) in so far as necessary to provide service to the line, to run and operate its trains over and on any portion of any other portion of the railway of the company against which the order is made but not to solicit traffic on that railway, to take possession of, use or occupy any land belonging to that company and to use the whole or any portion of that company’s right-of-way, tracks, terminals, stations or station grounds.

• Marginal note:Right of action on default

  (5) Every person aggrieved by any neglect or refusal of a company to fulfil its service obligations has, subject to this Act, an action for the neglect or refusal against the company.

• Marginal note:Company not relieved

  (6) Subject to the terms of a confidential contract referred to in subsection 113(4) or a tariff setting out a competitive line rate referred to in subsection 136(4), a company is not relieved from an action taken under subsection (5) by any notice, condition or declaration if the damage claimed in the action arises from any negligence or omission of the company or any of its employees.