TSB to release Lac-Megantic investigation report on Aug. 19

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) last week announced plans to hold a news conference in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Aug. 19 to publicly release its investigation report on the July 2013 Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) derailment.

The fourth deadliest rail accident in Canadian history, the MMA derailment caused 47 fatalities and destroyed more than 30 buildings in the small Quebec town on July 6, 2013, after rail cars carrying crude oil exploded and burned. An independent agency that investigates rail, marine, pipeline and aviation accidents, the TSB has been investigating the accident for more than a year.

Fortress Investment Group L.L.C. — which purchased the MMA's lines in the United States and Canada, and established the Central Maine and Quebec Railway (CMQR) as the operator — has voluntarily agreed to not move any crude oil or hazardous materials through Lac-Megantic until at least 2016. For more information about CMQR, follow this link to read a web exclusive article posted on ProgressiveRailroading.com.