Bill Detail

Bill S-287, also known as the Extended Interswitching Repeal Act, aims to reverse a recent change to the Canada Transportation Act that extended railway interswitching limits in the Prairies to 160 kilometres. This extended interswitching was introduced in a previous budget but had been rescinded due to concerns about its negative impacts on competition and Canadian economic activity. The bill argues that the reintroduction of this measure was done without proper consultation and that it incentivizes inefficient operations by diverting Canadian rail traffic to the US, potentially harming Canadian jobs and investment.

This bill seeks to immediately stop the application of extended interswitching in the Prairies. It will return to a more limited 30 km interswitching radius, except in specific circumstances. The changes primarily affect railway companies (Canadian National and Canadian Pacific) and shippers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The bill also mandates reporting requirements for railway companies to help assess the effects of these interswitching rules.