RC123 MarApr 2026 - Magazine - Page 15
MOVING FORWARD
A new National Rail Code will be a cohesive
framework for transit and passenger rail systems
by Ana-Maria Tomlinson
IFTY YEARS AGO, Canada was recognized as a global
leader in public transit design and delivery. The
country’s early rail and streetcar systems set a
model for reliability, safety, and innovation. Cities
like Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver
developed networks that shaped how Canadians
moved, connected, and built communities.
Over time, however, as other countries in Asia and
Europe expanded high-speed networks and built seamless
regional transit systems, Canada’s progress slowed. Investment lagged, technical expertise waned, and our ability to
deliver complex rail infrastructure on time and on budget
declined.
Canada now has the opportunity to change course.
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A once-in-a-generation investment
Canada is undergoing a signi昀椀cant transit expansion.
Urban rail systems across the country are growing by over
40 per cent, with 250 kilometres of new track and 206 new
stations planned or under construction. Projects like the
Alto High-Speed Rail corridor are advancing, and several medium-sized cities are planning new commuter and
intercity lines.
This is the largest wave of rail construction in generations—a transformation intended to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and drive economic growth across major
urban centres. It also represents a generational shift in how
Canadians access opportunity.
But ambition alone is not enough. Despite unprecedented investment, many Canadian transit projects continue to
face missed deadlines, high costs, and public skepticism.
These challenges threaten to undermine con昀椀dence in the
systems themselves and in the responsible use of public
funds.
Fifty years ago, Canada was recognized as a global leader in public
transit design and delivery, but over time, as other countries in Asia
and Europe expanded high-speed networks and built seamless
regional transit systems, Canada’s progress slowed.
RENEWCANADA.NET
Why projects struggle
The causes of these challenges are not new, but they have
become more pressing as projects have grown in size and
complexity. Rail infrastructure projects require expertise
from a multitude of engineering, technical, and social
disciplines, crossing civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, safety and risk management, urban planning and
design, architecture and accessibility, and more.
Canada’s transit and passenger rail sector currently
operates without a uni昀椀ed national framework to guide
how systems are designed, built, and tested. Instead, each
project tends to create its own technical roadmap, often
combining a patchwork of international standards, custom
engineering solutions, and varied interpretations of safety
and performance requirements.
This lack of cohesion creates cascading challenges:
UNCLEAR TECHNICAL DIRECTION: Procurement and design teams
lack consistent guidance on which standards are appropriate for use in Canada.
COSTLY CUSTOM APPROACHES: Projects frequently rely on bespoke
technical solutions that are time-consuming and expensive
to develop.
INTEGRATION ISSUES: Combining di昀昀erent standards from multiple countries or jurisdictions often leads to compatibility
problems and delays.
SILOED MANAGEMENT: Without a systems-level framework, design, construction, and commissioning activities are often
fragmented by discipline.
Together, these issues have resulted in delays, rework,
cost overruns, and eroded public trust, despite the best
e昀昀orts of engineers, contractors, and agencies.
A gap in technical expertise
Beyond the absence of a uni昀椀ed framework, Canada faces
another critical challenge: a shortage of domestic rail
expertise.
For decades, few Canadian universities or colleges have
o昀昀ered courses in rail systems engineering, operations, or
maintenance. Many projects rely on international expertise, which, while valuable, can increase costs and create
Ana-Maria Tomlinson is
the Director of Strategic
and Cross-Sector
Initiatives with CSA Group.
MARCH/APRIL 2026 – RENEW CANADA 15
