Minister Garneau introduces legislation to support Canadian travellers and promote economic growth

Transportation Modernization Act

Canada is a vast country that relies on a complex transportation network to move its citizens and its goods. All Canadians benefit from a competitive and efficient transportation system.

The Government of Canada today introduced legislation to provide a better experience for travellers and a transparent, fair, efficient and safer freight rail system to facilitate trade and economic growth.

This proposed legislation is the result of over a year of consultation and is informed by the feedback and guidance of citizens and stakeholders across the country. The Transportation Modernization Act would promote transparency, system efficiency and fairness. Key measures would include:

• establishing new air passenger rights;
• liberalizing international ownership restrictions for Canadian air carriers to provide travellers with more choice through increased competition;
• improving access, transparency, efficiency, and sustainable long-term investment in the freight rail sector; and
• increasing the safety of transportation in Canada by requiring railways to install voice and video recorders in locomotives.