Feds approve Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project

The project to build the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass has reached a new milestone. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) announced Thursday that it had approved the project, stating that its location is “suitable” and that it will benefit the regional and national economies. The application, submitted by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPRC) on behalf of [...] The post Feds approve Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project appeared first on CityNews Montreal .

The project to build the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass has reached a new milestone. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) announced Thursday that it had approved the project, stating that its location is “suitable” and that it will benefit the regional and national economies. The application, submitted by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPRC) on behalf of the Central Maine and Quebec Railway Canada (CMQR), calls for the construction of approximately 12.5 kilometres of new rail line that will divert rail traffic away from downtown Lac-Mégantic.

The Eastern Townships town was the site of a derailment involving a train carrying crude oil in July 2013, which killed 47 people and leveled part of the town centre. Related: Bar that became epicentre of Lac-Megantic tragedy now a symbol of its rebuild ‘Catastrophe:’ Strong opposition to Lac-Mégantic rail bypass 10 years after tragedy Early work to begin on project to divert trains from downtown Lac-Mégantic Lac-Mégantic rail bypass to be assessed by transportation agency The City of Lac-Mégantic subsequently proposed the construction of a rail bypass, a project that the governments of Quebec and Canada committed to funding in 2018.

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced last September that the project was moving into the assessment phase, referring the matter to the CTA. CTA states that it took into account the location of the proposed bypass, CPRC’s operational and service needs, as well as the interests and concerns raised by local and Indigenous communities. The municipalities of Lac-Mégantic, Frontenac, and Nantes are affected by this project.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews The post Feds approve Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project appeared first on CityNews Montreal .