LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — The Canadian government has reached an agreement in principle with the town of Lac-Mégantic on the purchase of land needed for construction of a rail bypass around the community, Transport Canada has announced.
The agreement will allow both parties to prepare the deed of sale for the land owned by the town. It is part of the government’s ongoing effort to relocate the rail line, now owned by Canadian Pacific, away from the community devastated by the derailment and fire involving a runaway oil train in 2013.
“With this agreement-in-principle, we have taken another step towards the realization of this rail bypass, which will ensure that the existing rail line will permanently leave downtown Lac-Mégantic,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a press release. “We will continue the required process over the next few months to finalize the purchase of the land parcels.”
Delays in land acquisition and other aspects of the project have delayed opening of the bypass past its original target date of completion in 2023. The government is currently involved in the project’s public consultation process, with information sessions set for Nov. 7-9 [see “Canadian government sets new dates …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 20, 2022].
Shock! People wanted more money than what the government was willing to pay.