VIA notes that railway track circuits must detect equipment in any part of the track circuit; and they must detect a shunt of 0.06 ohm resistance when the shunt is connected across the track rails of any part of the circuit by providing a warning time of at least 20 seconds before railway equipment reaches a crossing. Operating control circuits must provide consistent warning times for railway equipment operating over the grade crossing.
Venture trains in a 24-axle configuration have been confirmed to provide a minimum resistance of 0.06 ohms as required, as admitted by CN. Since CN’s new rule was purportedly adopted to allay a hypothetical risk that VIA Venture trains regularly operating over its grade crossings and generating the required 0.06 ohm shunt would not be detected by its warning systems, the purpose and effect of CN’s Crossing Supplement is to allow it to operate its railway in violation of the Railway Safety Act, Grade Crossing Regulations, and Grade Crossing Standards.
