Railways and shippers should be treated alike when it comes to performance penalties, says the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association.In a brief submitted to the federal government’s rail freight service review panel, the association says more accountability is needed to ensure better service.”Bringing in measures to improve accountability in rail service will help ensure grain cars are provided to shippers and delivered to customers on a more timely basis,” association president Kevin Bender said in a news release.Under existing rules, railways can impose penalties against shippers for late loading or unloading of rail cars but shippers have no authority to assess penalties against the railways for such things as failing to spot, pick-up or deliver cars on a timely basis.The wheat growers propose that a system of reciprocal penalties be introduced, so both sides are held responsible for their actions.The association proposes other changes designed to improve railway performance:require a railway to pay damages to a shipper in cases in which the railways failed to provide sufficient cars;* create a railway service monitor to track car order fulfillment, loading, pickup, transit and unloading time;* boost system capacity by introducing a two-tier revenue cap, allowing the railways to earn more during peak shipping periods and less in slack periods;* amend the rail revenue cap to ensure that railways share productivity gains with shippers and farmers;* review and reduce the role of the Canadian Wheat Board in transportation;* prohibit railway strikes or lockouts, at least in Western Canada.
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