Program directory · Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Rail Occurrence Investigations
- Department
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada
- Program code
- BWA03 (CTAIB)
- Core responsibility
- Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Rail Occurrence Investigations program is governed by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the Transportation Safety Board Regulations. Under this program, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada conducts independent investigations into selected rail transportation occurrences in Canada to identify causes and contributing factors. This program includes the publication of investigation reports, the formulation and monitoring of recommendations and other safety communications, as well as the conduct of outreach activities to advocate for changes to operating practices, equipment, infrastructure, and legislation to advance transportation safety. The Rail Occurrence Investigations program also includes the provision of assistance, upon request, to the provinces for the investigation of short-line railway occurrences under provincial jurisdiction.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2017-18. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Occurrence Investigations | This program | 2017-18 – 2028-29 | $52.2M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Indicators added: Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Rail | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Average time for completing investigation reports - Rail; Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Rail | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators dropped: Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Rail (active and dormant recommendations); Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Rail; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Rail; Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Rail (since TSB’s creation); Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Rail | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Accident rate - Rail (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Rail transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2019 | The main-track accident rate in 2018 was 2.6 accidents per million main-track train miles, above the 10-year average of 2.3. The annual main-track accident rate has been declining in recent years, but remained steady at 2.6 in 2018-19. The 2018-19 accident rate is higher than the 10-year average, but the 10-year average has also been declining. It is important to note that the annual accident rate is influenced by many external factors, including weather conditions particularly during the winter season. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2020 | The main-track accident rate in 2019 was 3.3 accidents per million main-track train miles, above the 10-year average of 2.3. The industry experienced a higher than normal accident rate during the fiscal year due largely to an increase in the reporting of Fires/Explosions on main track rights of way, which increased by 44 (200%) from the 10-year average of 22. This has come about because of one railway operator’s interpretation of reportable occurrences in the TSB Regulations. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2021 | The main-track accident rate in 2020 was 2.7 accidents per million main-track train miles, above the 10-year average of 2.4. During 2020, the industry experienced a higher than average accident rate due mainly to an increase in the reporting of Fires/Explosions on and adjacent to main tracks. A decomposition of the main track accident rate indicates that 0.9 accidents per million main-track miles are associated with fires. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2022 | The main-track accident rate in 2021 was 4.8 accidents per million main-track train miles, above the 10-year average of 2.5. As in 2019 and 2020, there was an unusually high number of right-of-way fires reported to the TSB in 2021 (137), which primarily accounts for the increase in the main-track accident rate. | Not met |
| 2022-23 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2023 | The main-track accident rate in 2022 was 3.0 accidents per million main-track train miles, above the 10-year average of 2.4. Fire on-board rolling stock accidents increased from a 10-year average of 26.9 to 43 in 2022 (a 60% increase), and derailment involving track unit accidents increased from 12.4 to 28 (a 126% increase). Also, rail activity (the accident rate denominator) was 4% below the 2020-2021 average, further increasing the 2022 rate. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2024 | The rail accident rate for 2023-24 is 2.53, which is 1% lower than the ten-year average of 2.55. | Met |
| 2024-25 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2025 | The main-track accident rate in 2024 was 2.4 accidents per million main-track train miles, below the 10-year average of 2.6. | Met |
Number of fatal accidents - Rail (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Rail transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2019 | The number of fatal accidents in 2018 was 55, below the 10-year average of 66. Rail fatalities totaled 57 in 2018, below the 10-year average of 74. | Met |
| 2019-20 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2020 | The number of fatal accidents in 2019 was 68, above the 10-year average of 64.6. Rail fatalities totalled 72 in 2019, below the 10-year average of 72.8. The industry experienced a higher than normal number of fatal accidents however the total number of rail fatalities is down slightly from the 10-year average. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2021 | The number of fatal accidents in 2020 was 58, below the 10-year average of 64.5. Rail fatalities totalled 59 in 2020, below the 10-year average of 73. | Met |
| 2021-22 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2022 | The number of fatal accidents in 2021 was 59, below the 10-year average of 62.9. Rail fatalities totalled 60 in 2021, below the 10-year average of 71. | Met |
| 2022-23 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2023 | The number of fatal accidents in 2022 was 66, above the 10-year average of 61.9, and the number of fatalities totaled 66 in 2022, below the 10-year average of 70. Trespasser accidents comprised 79% of all fatal accidents in 2022, and fatal trespasser accidents increased from the 2020-2021 average of 39.7 to 52 in 2022, more than offsetting the respective decrease in fatal crossing accidents from 19.6 to 14. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2024 | In 2023-24, 67 fatal rail accidents were reported to the TSB, a 2% decrease from the ten-year average of 68.1. | Met |
| 2024-25 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2025 | The number of fatal accidents was 69, above the 10-year average of 61, and fatalities in 2024 totaled 69, above the 10-year average of 62. Trespasser accidents comprised 81% of all fatal accidents in 2024, and fatal trespasser accidents increased to 56, which is above the 2014 to 2023 average of 42. This increase in fatal trespasser accidents more than offset the decrease in fatal crossing accidents (down to 12, below the average of 17 from 2014 to 2023). Together, these two categories contain more than 98% of all fatal accidents. | Not met |
Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Rail (active and dormant recommendations)
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 7 | 2020 | 9.2 The regulator continues to work on the development of policies and regulations that will address many of the outstanding recommendations. They range from the year 2000 to 2018. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 7 | 2021 | 9.5 The regulator continues to work on the development of policies and regulations that will address many outstanding recommendations. Last fiscal year, the Board re-assessed progress on all 13 outstanding recommendations and found 3 to have achieved a fully satisfactory rating. The outstanding active recommendations range from the year 2013 to 2020. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 7 | 2022 | 8.4 The Board reassessed 9 responses to rail transportation safety recommendations in 2021–2022. Although none were closed as Fully Satisfactory, all responses reported actions and progress. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 730 | 2020 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 1 investigation in the rail mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 730 | 2021 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 1 investigation in the rail mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 730 | 2022 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 1 investigation in the rail mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 600 | 2020 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 2 investigation in the rail mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 600 | 2021 | 811 Although a high number of investigation reports were completed by the branch, high workload and delays associated with limited available resources, an exceptionally high number of ongoing investigations and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 2 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 600 | 2022 | 1,151 In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Branch started twice as many new investigations compared to the expected yearly average. These included multiple complex class 2 investigations which continued into the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Due to the increased workload, some delays were incurred in completing class 2 investigations. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 450 | 2020 | 520 High workload and delays associated with limited available resources, an exceptionally high number of new occurrences and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 3 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 450 | 2021 | 540 Although a high number of investigation reports were completed by the branch, high workload and delays associated with limited available resources, an exceptionally high number of older investigations and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 3 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 450 | 2022 | 658 In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Branch started twice as many new investigations compared to the expected yearly average. These included multiple complex class 2 investigations and class 3 investigations which continued into the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Due to the increased workload, some delays were incurred in completing class 3 investigations. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 200 | 2020 | 219 The TSB Policy on Occurrence Classification was revised in October 2019. Among other amendments, the target duration for Class 4 investigations was changed from 200 days to 220 days. Under the new amendment, this indicator would be considered met. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 220 | 2021 | 374 Although a high number of investigation reports were completed by the branch, high workload and delays associated with limited available resources, an exceptionally high number of older investigations and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 4 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 220 | 2022 | 299 In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Branch started twice as many new investigations compared to the expected yearly average. These included multiple complex class 2 investigations and class 3 investigations which continued into the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Due to the increased workload, some delays were incurred in completing class 4 investigations. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 60 | 2020 | 105 Delays associated with available resources, in obtaining missing and/or additional information when following up with industry, an exceptionally high number of new occurrences and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 5 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 60 | 2021 | 93 Challenges in securing timely and accurate information from the railway operating companies combined with a focus on working through an exceptionally high number of past investigation reports resulted in an increase in the average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 60 | 2022 | 62 The variance was 2, which is a 3% difference. | Not met |
Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Rail (since TSB’s creation)
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 88% | 2019 | 88% | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 88% | 2020 | 90% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 88% | 2021 | 91% | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 88% | 2022 | 90% | Met |
Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Rail
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 50% | 2019 | 11% For some safety advisories, information on the planned follow-up was received but no specific safety action was confirmed. We will follow-up with these stakeholders to try to improve the response rate. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 60% | 2020 | 11% In many cases, safety advisories will trigger the regulator to take regulatory action. Often, due to the need for consultation with industry, the time to successfully address the safety deficiency is in excess of one year. Of the eight safety advisories sent to the regulator, four resulted in written responses and two of which produced ministerial orders to the railway industry on improving the s… | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 60% | 2021 | 13% In many cases, safety advisories will trigger the regulator to take action. Often, due to the need for consultation with industry, the time to successfully address the safety deficiency is in excess of one year. Of the 6 safety advisories sent to the regulator, 6 written responses were received and 1 resulted in the Association of American Railroads issuing a North American maintenance advisory t… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 60% | 2022 | 100% | Met |
Average time for completing investigation reports - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≤ 450 | 2019 | 373 | Met |
Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Rail
Expected result: Rail occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 75% | 2019 | 69% Not met due to a high workload and significant staff turnover. We will continue to assess and prioritize work activity to improve the overall timeliness of investigation reports. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Accident rate - Rail (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Rail transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2027 | — | Planned |
Number of fatal accidents - Rail (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Rail transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | — | $6M |
| 2018-19 | $5.6M | $6M |
| 2019-20 | $6.1M | $6.1M |
| 2020-21 | $6.3M | $6.5M |
| 2021-22 | $5.9M | $6.9M |
| 2022-23 | $6.7M | $6.5M |
| 2023-24 | $7M | $7.5M |
| 2024-25 | $7.6M | $6.8M |
| 2025-26 | $7.8M | — |
| 2026-27 | $7.5M | — |
| 2027-28 | $7.4M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $7.4M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 42 | 38 |
| 2018-19 | 38 | 37 |
| 2019-20 | 38 | 35 |
| 2020-21 | 4 | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 36 | 42 |
| 2022-23 | 38 | 42 |
| 2023-24 | 38 | 40 |
| 2024-25 | 46 | 42 |
| 2025-26 | 44 | — |
| 2026-27 | 44 | — |
| 2027-28 | 44* | — |
| 2028-29 | 44* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $5,592,705 | $5,592,705 | $5,592,705 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $6,137,416 | $6,137,416 | $6,137,416 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $6,342,414 | $6,318,553 | $6,324,590 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $5,887,618 | $5,902,465 | $5,902,465 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $6,748,749 | $6,632,764 | $6,632,764 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $7,040,522 | $7,040,522 | $7,040,522 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $7,630,652 | $7,558,259 | $7,562,013 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $7,839,894 | $7,850,293 | $7,850,293 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $7,504,523 | $7,443,346 | $7,443,346 | ||||||||
| Actual | $5,976,966 | $6,070,972 | $6,450,861 | $6,878,459 | $6,548,409 | $7,455,285 | $6,766,670 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
