By Steve Sammut, Vancouver Sun; February 14, 2019
With the May 2018 amendments to the Canada Transportation Act, the Canadian Transportation Agency initiated its first official investigation into a level-of-service dispute between shippers and railways in the Vancouver area. The two-day hearings took place in Vancouver on Jan. 29 and 30 and the discussion clearly focused on the movement of freight in and out of the region.
It is important to appreciate that the railways provide a valuable service in delivering imported goods to our local communities. On a daily basis, tons of everyday household goods such as clothing, computers, smartphones and fresh produce enter the Port of Vancouver and are then transferred onto freight rail destined to communities throughout Canada. This frequently gets lost in discussions relating to rail service, as the focus is generally on Canadian products bound for export, such as grain, lumber, oil and minerals. The Canadian economy is dependent on the efficient movement of goods both to and from our international trade partners, which benefits all Canadians.