Canada’s transport regulator has approved the 12.5-kilometre Lac-Mégantic railway bypass, advancing a project that will move freight traffic away from the Quebec city’s downtown after the 2013 disaster.

Former Lac-Mégantic railway station building in Quebec
The former Lac-Mégantic railway station in Quebec. Illustrative image; it does not show the approved bypass route. Photo: Richard Coté / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Canadian Transportation Agency⁠ approved the application submitted by Canadian Pacific Railway Company on behalf of Central Maine and Quebec Railways Canada Inc. under Section 98 of the Canada Transportation Act.

The authorization covers approximately 12.5 kilometres of new railway line and associated infrastructure. The agency said the route is reasonable after considering railway service and operational requirements alongside concerns raised by local and Indigenous communities. Its detailed reasons are expected in August, while conditions will apply throughout the project lifecycle.

Approval advances the project toward construction

The decision removes a major regulatory step, but no construction start date has been announced. According to Transport Canada’s project milestones⁠, building the bypass is expected to take five years once work begins.

After commissioning, the existing railway through downtown Lac-Mégantic is scheduled to be dismantled. Transport Canada estimates that dismantling the old track and improving the former corridor will take another two years.

CMQR is responsible for the bypass design and construction and will own the new line. Once completed, the infrastructure will become part of the CPKC network.

Don’t miss…SLGW West Interchange Breaks Ground in Salt Lake City

New line will cross three Quebec municipalities

The planned route will pass through Nantes, Lac-Mégantic and Frontenac. The official federal project description⁠ lists a railway bridge over the Chaudière River and Villeneuve and Wolfe streets, a road bridge over the railway, and two public tunnels for pedestrians and off-road vehicles.

The scope also includes two public level crossings, five private crossings and two railway yard tracks covering about two hectares in Lac-Mégantic’s industrial park. These works will shift regular railway operations outside the downtown area while maintaining links between the Moosehead and Sherbrooke subdivisions.

The project follows the July 6, 2013 derailment of a crude-oil train in downtown Lac-Mégantic. The disaster killed 47 people, destroyed much of the city centre, spilled about 1.6 million gallons of crude oil and forced approximately 2,000 residents to evacuate.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…GBR Anglia Trains Debut at London Liverpool Street