The Canadian Transportation Agency has approved construction of the 12.5 km Lac-Mégantic railway bypass, according to railwaygazette.com. The new line will reroute trains away from the centre of the town, which was devastated in July 2013 when an unattended crude oil train ran away, causing an explosion and fire that killed 47 people.

Following many years of planning and a feasibility study undertaken by Aecom, a formal application to build the new line was submitted by Canadian Pacific Kansas City in September 2025.

The CTA considered the location, operational and service requirements, and the interests and concerns raised by local communities and Indigenous communities. It decided that the location of the bypass was reasonable and that the project would benefit the regional and national economy.

The decision has been welcomed by the Canadian government. ‘Today marks a significant step forward for the residents of the Lac-Mégantic community and neighboring municipalities’, said Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon on July 16. ‘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 Canadian government had confirmed in May 2018 that it would fund 60% of the cost of constructing the Lac-Mégantic bypass, which was estimated at C$133m at the time. The province of Québec would fund the remaining 40%. Land acquisition for the new route has reportedly been underway since 2021.

The project is to be managed by CPKC, which will also own the bypass. Construction is expected to take around five years after work begins. Once the bypass has been completed, the existing line through the town will be dismantled and the land transferred to the local municipalities for public use.