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6/15/2023
The Canadian government has expropriated the parcels of land required to complete the rail bypass project to remove trains from traveling in downtown Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Transport Canada announced yesterday.
The government will take possession of the land Aug. 1, with compensation offers for property owners expected by the same date, Transport Canada officials said in a press release. The government was unable to reach an agreement with all landowners during the negotiation period that extended from October 2021 through January 2023, leading to the expropriation action.
The proposed project calls for building a 7.8-mile rail line through the municipalities of Nantes, Lac-Megantic and Frontenac in Quebec. Two yard tracks will be constructed in an industrial park in Lac-Megantic to relocate rail operations in Nantes and Frontenac to the new location. Canadian Pacific Kansas City will manage the project and own the bypass once it's completed.
The proposed project is a result of the rail disaster that happened July 6, 2013, in downtown Lac-Megantic, where a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed, causing a fiery explosion that killed 47 people and destroyed buildings and infrastructure.
After the bypass is completed, tracks in downtown Lac-Megantic will be dismantled.