Location: Eastern Townships, Quebec
Summary of Issue/Background
- On July 6, 2013, a Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway train carrying crude oil derailed causing 47 fatalities in downtown Lac-Mégantic (Quebec). The population remains deeply concerned about rail safety.
- In 2014, Central Maine and Quebec Railway (CMQ) purchased the assets of the bankrupt Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway, and began its rail operations after making significant investments to improve the rail infrastructure.
- CMQ does not currently transport crude oil, and made a commitment that they would not resume transportation of crude oil without first informing the affected communities.
- Since the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, numerous measures have been taken by Transport Canada (TC) to further improve rail safety, and the transportation of dangerous goods by rail, through regulatory and legislative reform. For instance, implementation of enhanced securement requirements of unattended locomotives, equipment and trains; enhanced tank car standards; and application of speed restrictions for trains carrying dangerous goods through Census Metropolitan Areas.
- In May 2019, during a rail safety inspection on CMQ’s Sherbrooke Subdivision (Farnham to Lac-Mégantic), TC noted that the number of defective rails found in ultrasonic testing had increased compared to the previous year. A Notice and Order was issued requiring the company to increase the number of ultrasonic rail inspections.
- CMQ took immediate action to address the non-compliances found including applying speed restrictions where appropriate.
- On August 15, 2019, the “Coalition des citoyens et organismes engagés pour la sécurité ferroviaire de Lac-Mégantic” (the coalition) sent a highly publicized letter to TC expressing concerns about the increase in track defects on the CMQ line in the Lac-Mégantic area.
- On September 5, 2019, the coalition sent a formal letter “mise en demeure” to TC asking the Minister to block the transportation of dangerous goods in the region until defective rails identified in the recent TC report are repaired.
- On September 6, 2019, a Ministerial Order was issued under section 32.01 of the Railway Safety Act, ordering the company to proceed with all repairs, no later than October 15, 2019.
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- Since September 9, 2019, TC inspectors conducted follow-up inspections on the entirety of the Sherbrooke Subdivision to ensure that the repairs done by CMQ are in compliance with the Railway Safety Act and the Ministerial Order.
- On November 6, 2019, CMQ submitted to TC the results of their Fall 2019 ultrasonic inspection, as per the Ministerial Order. The results are currently being analyzed by the department, and will be followed by a field inspection, once completed.