Overview

• Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland used the 12th anniversary statement to pledge completion of the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass and highlight strengthened safety regulations.
• The Canadian Transportation Agency has stalled construction approval since 2023, requesting more environmental impact data before greenlighting the bypass.
• Advocate Robert Bellefleur warned that freight trains through Lac-Mégantic now exceed 200 wagons and 15,000 feet in length, raising derailment risks on older track.
• Citizens have reported erosion around railway culverts near the town’s entrance, prompting Canadian Pacific Kansas City to confirm that tracks remain safe through regular inspections.
• Federal and Quebec funding for the bypass, first pledged in 2018, remains in place but concrete construction timelines have yet to be set.