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Canada Transportation Act (S.C. 1996, c. 10)

Act current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2023-09-30. Previous Versions

PART IIIRailway Transportation (continued)

DIVISION IIConstruction and Operation of Railways (continued)

Railway Lines

Marginal note:No construction without Agency approval

  •  (1) A railway company shall not construct a railway line without the approval of the Agency.

  • Marginal note:Grant of approval

    (2) The Agency may, on application by the railway company, grant the approval if it considers that the location of the railway line is reasonable, taking into consideration requirements for railway operations and services and the interests of the localities that will be affected by the line.

  • Marginal note:Exception

    (3) No approval is needed for the construction of a railway line

    • (a) within the right of way of an existing railway line; or

    • (b) within 100 m of the centre line of an existing railway line for a distance of no more than 3 km.

Marginal note:Filing agreements

  •  (1) An agreement, or an amendment to an agreement, relating to the construction of a railway line across another railway line may be filed with the Agency.

  • Marginal note:Effect of filing

    (2) When the agreement or amendment is filed, it becomes an order of the Agency authorizing the parties to construct the railway line as provided in the agreement.

  • Marginal note:No agreement

    (3) If a person is unsuccessful in negotiating an agreement or amendment mentioned in subsection (1), the Agency may, on application, authorize the construction of the railway line or any related work.

Road and Utility Crossings

Marginal note:Definitions

 In this section and section 101,

road crossing

road crossing means the part of a road that passes across, over or under a railway line, and includes a structure supporting or protecting that part of the road or facilitating the crossing; (franchissement routier)

utility crossing

utility crossing means the part of a utility line that passes over or under a railway line, and includes a structure supporting or protecting that part of the utility line or facilitating the crossing; (franchissement par desserte)

utility line

utility line means a wire, cable, pipeline or other like means of enabling the transmission of goods or energy or the provision of services. (desserte)

Marginal note:Filing agreements

  •  (1) An agreement, or an amendment to an agreement, relating to the construction, maintenance or apportionment of the costs of a road crossing or a utility crossing may be filed with the Agency.

  • Marginal note:Effect of filing

    (2) When the agreement or amendment is filed, it becomes an order of the Agency authorizing the parties to construct or maintain the crossing, or apportioning the costs, as provided in the agreement.

  • Marginal note:No agreement on construction or maintenance

    (3) If a person is unsuccessful in negotiating an agreement or amendment mentioned in subsection (1), the Agency may, on application, authorize the construction of a suitable road crossing, utility crossing or related work, or specifying who shall maintain the crossing.

  • Marginal note:No agreement on apportionment of costs

    (4) Section 16 of the Railway Safety Act applies if a person is unsuccessful in negotiating an agreement relating to the apportionment of the costs of constructing or maintaining the road crossing or utility crossing.

  • Marginal note:Non-application of section

    (5) This section does not apply in any circumstances where section 102 or 103 applies.

Private Crossings

Marginal note:Divided land

 If an owner’s land is divided as a result of the construction of a railway line, the railway company shall, at the owner’s request, construct a suitable crossing for the owner’s enjoyment of the land.

Marginal note:Other crossings may be ordered

  •  (1) If a railway company and an owner of land adjoining the company’s railway do not agree on the construction of a crossing across the railway, the Agency, on the application of the owner, may order the company to construct a suitable crossing if the Agency considers it necessary for the owner’s enjoyment of the land.

  • Marginal note:Terms and conditions

    (2) The Agency may include in its order terms and conditions governing the construction and maintenance of the crossing.

  • Marginal note:Costs of construction and maintenance

    (3) The owner of the land shall pay the costs of constructing and maintaining the crossing.

DIVISION IIIFinancial Transactions of Railway Companies

Security

Marginal note:Deposit of mortgage, hypothec or security agreement

  •  (1) The following may, in accordance with the regulations, be deposited by any person in the office of the Registrar General of Canada or in any other place that the Governor in Council may, by order, specify:

    • (a) a mortgage or hypothec issued by a railway company;

    • (b) a security agreement entered into by a railway company;

    • (c) an assignment or other document affecting a document referred to in paragraph (a) or (b); or

    • (d) a copy of any document referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (c) or a summary of any such document made in accordance with regulations made under section 105.1.

  • Marginal note:Effect of deposit

    (2) Once the deposit is made, the mortgage or hypothec, security agreement, assignment or other document need not be deposited, registered or filed under any other law or statute respecting real or personal property, and the deposited document is valid against all persons.

  • 1996, c. 10, s. 104
  • 1999, c. 31, s. 38(E)
  • 2007, c. 19, s. 30

Documents Dealing with Rolling Stock

Marginal note:Deposit of documents

  •  (1) A document, or a copy or summary of a document, evidencing any of the following transactions may, in accordance with the regulations, be deposited by any person in the office of the Registrar General of Canada or in any other place that the Governor in Council may, by order, specify:

    • (a) a lease, sale, conditional sale, instalment sale, mortgage, hypothec, bailment, leasing, deposit or security agreement relating to rolling stock or any accessories or appurtenances relating to rolling stock; and

    • (b) an amendment, assignment or discharge of a document mentioned in paragraph (a).

  • (2) [Repealed, 2007, c. 19, s. 31]

  • Marginal note:Effect of deposit

    (3) Once the deposit is made, the document need not be deposited, registered or filed under any other law or statute respecting real or personal property, and the document is valid against all persons.

  • (4) [Repealed, 2007, c. 19, s. 31]

  • 1996, c. 10, s. 105
  • 2007, c. 19, s. 31

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations

 The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting

  • (a) the depositing of copies of documents under sections 104 and 105;

  • (b) the form and content of summaries to be deposited under those sections; and

  • (c) the effects, in Canada, of the deposit, registration or filing in other countries of documents evidencing any transaction referred to in paragraph 105(1)(a) or of documents evidencing amendments, assignments or discharges of those documents.

  • 2007, c. 19, s. 32

 [Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 21]

 [Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 21]

 [Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 21]

 [Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 21]

 [Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 21]

DIVISION IVRates, Tariffs and Services

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

 In this Division,

competitive line rate

competitive line rate[Repealed, 2018, c. 10, s. 22]

confidential contract

confidential contract means a contract entered into under subsection 126(1); (contrat confidentiel)

connecting carrier

connecting carrier means a railway company, other than a local carrier, that moves traffic to or from an interchange over a portion of a continuous route; (transporteur de liaison)

interchange

interchange means a place where the line of one railway company connects with the line of another railway company and where loaded or empty cars may be stored until delivered or received by the other railway company; (lieu de correspondance)

interswitch

interswitch means to transfer traffic from the lines of one railway company to the lines of another railway company; (interconnexion)

interswitching rate

interswitching rate means a rate determined by the Agency in accordance with section 127.1; (Version anglaise seulement)

local carrier

local carrier means a class 1 rail carrier that moves traffic to or from an interchange on a continuous route from the point of origin or to the point of destination that is served exclusively by the class 1 rail carrier; (transporteur local)

long-haul interswitching rate

long-haul interswitching rate means a rate determined by the Agency in accordance with paragraph 134(1)(a); (Version anglaise seulement)

service obligations

service obligations means obligations under section 113 or 114. (Version anglaise seulement)

  • 1996, c. 10, s. 111
  • 2018, c. 10, s. 22

Rates and Conditions of Service

Marginal note:Commercially fair and reasonable

 A rate or condition of service established by the Agency under this Division must be commercially fair and reasonable to all parties.

Level of Services

Marginal note:Accommodation for traffic

  •  (1) A railway company shall, according to its powers, in respect of a railway owned or operated by it,

    • (a) furnish, at the point of origin, at the point of junction of the railway with another railway, and at all points of stopping established for that purpose, adequate and suitable accommodation for the receiving and loading of all traffic offered for carriage on the railway;

    • (b) furnish adequate and suitable accommodation for the carriage, unloading and delivering of the traffic;

    • (c) without delay, and with due care and diligence, receive, carry and deliver the traffic;

    • (d) furnish and use all proper appliances, accommodation and means necessary for receiving, loading, carrying, unloading and delivering the traffic; and

    • (e) furnish any other service incidental to transportation that is customary or usual in connection with the business of a railway company.

  • Marginal note:Carriage on payment of rates

    (2) Traffic must be taken, carried to and from, and delivered at the points referred to in paragraph (1)(a) on the payment of the lawfully payable rate.

  • Marginal note:Carriage on payment of levy

    (2.1) If a railway company is to carry traffic in respect of which there is a levy under section 155.3 or 155.5, the traffic must be carried from a point referred to in paragraph (1)(a) by the railway company on the payment to the company of the levy, by the shipper, if the company is the first railway company to carry, at a rate other than an interswitching rate, the traffic after its loading.

  • Marginal note:Compensation for provision of rolling stock

    (3) Where a shipper provides rolling stock for the carriage by the railway company of the shipper’s traffic, the company shall, at the request of the shipper, establish specific reasonable compensation to the shipper in a tariff for the provision of the rolling stock.

  • Marginal note:Confidential contract between company and shipper

    (4) A shipper and a railway company may, by means of a confidential contract or other written agreement, agree on the manner in which the obligations under this section are to be fulfilled by the company.

  • 1996, c. 10, s. 113
  • 2015, c. 31, s. 8
  • 2018, c. 10, s. 59(F)
 

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