Mayor John Tory and 17 councillors have written a letter to federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt asking that Ottawa impose stricter safety measures for trains passing through Toronto.

The letter was initiated by Ward 22 councillor Josh Matlow and was sent to Raitt March 31.

“We have rail lines that go through the heart of Toronto through some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the entire country yet we see on a more frequent basis in North America tragic derailments,” Matlow told CP24 Saturday.

Calling the letter “an unprecedented stand,” Matlow said it was signed by all councilors who have CP Rail lines passing through their wards.

The letter asks that Transport Canada examine alternate routes for dangerous goods and that the organization move quickly to take out of service rail cars that don’t meet new safety standards. It also seeks a review of existing safety standards and speed limits through urban areas and asks for greater transparency about the types of goods being transported through the city.

The move comes amid several recent derailments in northern Ontario, some of which have resulted in large fires and the spillage of crude oil into waterways.

Matlow that the letter is a case of councillors looking to be proactive rather than reactive and said he feels the federal government shares his concerns about rail safety.

“We want to make sure that we work with the government to ensure the safety of Toronto residents,” Matlow said.

In an email to CP24, Raitt said the federal government is already aware of and working on all the concerns expressed by Tory and the councilors.

"We have made and continue to make progress on every item in the letter and we continue to work with the FCM National Municipal Rail Safety Working Group,” Raitt said in the email. "We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the municipalities through the working group‎."

She said transport Canada has hired and trained inspectors to carry out more frequent safety audits and has required tanker cars that are not up to new standards to be retired within three years.

She also said the agency has asked railway companies “to provide municipalities with the type and amount of dangerous goods traveling through each municipality.”

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