The Canadian Transportation Agency has approved the long-delayed railway bypass around Lac-Mégantic, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for a plan to permanently move freight trains away from the town’s downtown core.
On Thursday, the agency said the Canadian Pacific Railway Company could construct about 12.5 kilometres of new track and related infrastructure around the Eastern Townships community, which is about 200 kilometres east of Montreal.
The agency concluded that the proposed route was reasonable after considering the railway’s operational needs, its economic importance and concerns raised by local and Indigenous communities.
On July 6, 2013, an unattended freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, killing 47 people and destroying much of the downtown core.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement: “Today marks a significant step forward for the residents of the Lac-Mégantic community and neighbouring municipalities. This decision brings us closer to the start of construction on a long-awaited project that will help improve the community’s safety and quality of life.”
The railway operator, acting on behalf of Central Maine and Quebec Railways Canada, submitted its application in September 2025.
The agency held online consultations and in-person information sessions in Lac-Mégantic between November and January. A second consultation, focused on a hydrogeological report examining groundwater concerns, was held in June.
The approval does not mean construction will begin immediately. The federal government said it intends to complete the work as quickly as possible.
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