Disputes about rail rates

Types of disputes we can help with

Competitive line rates

A shipper located beyond the 30 kilometer interswitching limit may ask the Agency to set a competitive line rate for moving goods over the originating railway to the interchange point, for transfer to another railway.

The shipper must first make arrangements with the connecting railway company for the balance of the freight movement.

The Agency would base the competitive line rate on:

  • applicable interswitching rates; and
  • revenue the railway company generates for moving similar commodities over similar distances.

For a full description of competitive line rates, read sections 129 – 136 of the Canada Transportation Act.

Joint rates

If a shipper wishes to move traffic over a continuous route in Canada over lines operated by two or more railway companies, it may ask the companies to agree on a joint tariff for the route and the apportionment of the rate in the joint tariff. The shipper may also enter into a confidential contract for the continuous route.

If the companies cannot agree agree on the joint tariff and rate apportionment, the Agency can direct them to come to an agreement or it can make the determination.

For a full description of joint rates, read sections 121 – 135 of the Canada Transportation Act.

Single line rates

A shipper may ask a railway company to set a rate for moving traffic over a single line route.

If the railway company refuses, the shipper may apply to the Agency, who can order the railways to publish a rate.

For more information about single line rates, read sections 117 -120 of the Canada Transportation Act.

Dispute resolution services

You could use a quick and relatively informal process to resolve your dispute:

Or you could use a more formal process:

See the overview and FAQs for a comparison of the dispute resolution options. If you're not sure about which option to choose, you can contact us anytime to see how we can help.

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