PDF of Letter: /_uploads/64074750c5591.pdf
March 7, 2023
Dear CARS Member,
As the world rounds the first anniversary of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, our daily news reports contain unspeakable war crimes, senseless violence and whole-scale destruction of a sovereign country. The western world, Canada included, is fully behind the Ukrainian population's heroic resistance and unwavering determination to defend their country. Military help in the form of weapons and crucial training has been forthcoming and pledged from western countries. Still, the continued destruction of Ukraine's electrical power grid, railway system and other critical life support systems must be maintained/repaired to ensure Ukraine's ultimate success in this conflict.
To assist the Ukrainian Railways, the Transport Minister formed a railway working group to organize meaningful support for the Ukrainian Railway – considered one of the largest in Europe - and their 250,000 employees. Continuing news reports from the Ukrainian railway's efforts to ensure the mobility of goods, such as wheat shipments, and evacuees from the war-torn areas of the country detail the very difficult situation. The superhuman efforts of the Ukrainian Railways to maintain the seemingly only viable transportation mode is critical to ensuring life-saving supplies reach areas under attack, transporting export goods to contribute to global needs, and, not the least to support the war effort.
The CEO of the Ukrainian Railway commented that their immediate focus is on being a reliable transporter of goods. On successful conclusion of the war, they are looking forward to repatriating people to their homes – to start the rebuilding process.
I have represented CARS in discussions with the Ukrainian Ambassador. Her Excellency provided a list of items urgently needed to maintain the Ukrainian Railway in operational status. I met with the Transport Canada representative that is a part of the Minister's Working Group on this issue. The Working Group is looking at possible solutions to the existing problems and for the eventual rebuilding of the railway system after the conflict.
I would like to ask all of you to look at the enclosed list of needed items, and if we, as Association members, could offer any help from the listed items, it would be very much appreciated. Please let the CARS Team know if our members could help with the requested items. I will then notify the Embassy/Minister's Working Group of these offerings.
Kindest Regards,
Sylvia Newell
President
Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers
Phone/Téléphone: 613-237-3888
Fax/Télécopieur: 613-237-4888