Thunder Bay rail crossings 'not an issue'

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs said it's premature to require transit buses to stop at all railway crossings.

Hobbs said he can't remember there ever being an accident in Thunder Bay between a city bus and a train and added transit drivers are trained to ensure the safety of their passengers.

If the investigation into the recent bus-train collision in Ottawa shows that not having a mandatory stopping rule contributed to the tragedy, the rules would have to be reconsidered, he said.

"We could pass bylaws. You can always pass bylaws on these things,” Hobbs said.  "I really don't think it's an issue in Thunder Bay. That was an unfortunate accident that happened in Ottawa, but we don't know what the cause of that was yet."

Hobbs added much can be learned from every accident but "municipal bus and train collisions are very rare, from what I understand.”