For the first time, we know just how many train cars may be carrying dangerous goods through Winnipeg on a daily basis.

But a city councillor worries the train companies want to keep that information private.

An internal city email says up to 400 CN and CP rail cars cross through the city on any given day, hauling hazardous materials.

After the disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que. in 2013, Ottawa mandated that train companies provide their manifests to the Canadian municipalities that their tracks run through.

The email also shows the city's emergency preparedness coordinator signed a non-disclosure agreement to keep the details private. The City of Winnipeg confirmed it signed the agreement.

But Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre), who obtained the memo, said the train companies and the city should be sharing that information with councillors and citizens.

"They don't want people to know because there could be a serious accident in Winnipeg, so they don't want to get people excited so it's best to say nothing," said Smith.

Both CN and CP point out that the non-disclosure rules are part of a directive from the federal government.

Transportation expert Barry Prentice says that non-disclosure clause may be a good thing.

“Well I think principally it’s a matter of why alarm the public of this sort of thing,” said Prentice.

He said the number of trains carrying hazardous materials through Winnipeg is relatively low, and an accident is unlikely.

“These safety regulations are very strict and of course they’re monitored all the time as well. Both by Transport Canada and by the railways. So there’s a fair degree of safety that I don’t think anybody should lose sleep over,” Prentice said.

The federal government requires rail companies report the number of trains travelling through a city, and whether they contain hazardous materials.

It says that information is to be shared on a need to know basis for emergency planning only.

A representative from CN told CTV that the rail industry, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and Transport Canada all agreed to the terms.