Rail – A Vital Contribution to Canada’s Economic Growth

October 28, 2021

Rail is the backbone of Canada’s economy. And its importance to our country’s continued prosperity is only growing. 

In 2019, RAC members moved more than 360 million tons and 100 million passengers along 43,000 kilometres of track. Canadian railroaders get Canadian goods to world markets, and vital imports to destinations here at home. 

Over the last decade, billions of dollars of investments in Canadian rail infrastructure, training, and technology have increased both carloads and passenger volumes by 47 per cent.  

Rail’s economic contributions don’t stop there.  

Canadian rail companies directly employ more than 36,000 people – offering people from coast to coast the opportunity to work in well-paying, rewarding careers.   

In this edition of the RAC newsletter, we focus on rail’s vital contributions to Canada’s economic growth. 

As we see the light at the end of the COVID tunnel start to grow larger, our sector will play an important role in Canada’s and the world’s economic recovery. 

We will help keep globalized supply chains moving, and help Canadian producers get their goods to global markets. 

We will be there as people start going back to their offices. 

And, over the coming holiday shopping season, we will help ensure online shopping purchases get to distribution centres and retailers across the country.  

We will be making these points and others to the newly elected and returning Parliamentarians when the House of Commons resumes in a few weeks. 

To deliver on his new mandate, the Prime Minister massively overhauled his Cabinet on Oct. 26. We were pleased to see the reappointments of the ministers of transport and agriculture/agri-food; we look forward to continuing our relationships with Ministers Algahbra and Bibeau, and their offices.  We also look forward to ensuring that newly appointed ministers of natural resources (Wilkinson), tourism (Boissonnault, infrastructure (Leblanc), and trade-export-small business (Ng) are fully aware of RAC members’ contributions to Canadians’ daily lives and economic well-being. 

As we enter economic update and budget planning season, we will ensure that RAC members’ top priorities are known and understood by decision-makers.  

We will continue to be here for you, so you can continue to deliver for Canada and Canadians. As ever, thanks for all you do. 

Stay safe. Be well. 

Marc