https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/Early on 6 July 2013 an unattended Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway crude oil train rolled away from Nantes, Quebec, and derailed in downtown Lac-Mégantic, where the fires and explosions that followed killed 47 people. The Transportation Safety Board found 18 contributing factors, including the railway's weak safety culture and gaps in federal oversight. Three employees were acquitted of criminal negligence in 2018, a 460 million Canadian dollar settlement fund was paid through bankruptcy proceedings, and courts found Canadian Pacific not liable.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e23lac-megantic-rail-disaster-b6c0f9c8e4Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000In its August 2026 bypass newsletter, Transport Canada said steps remained before construction could begin, including the transfer of land to the railway operator and regulatory approval of the notice of railway works. It gave no construction start date.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e22lac-megantic-rail-disaster-30df184fadThu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Canadian Transportation Agency approved construction of the bypass in Determination No. R-2026-117, subject to conditions, the agency and Transport Canada said. The agency said its reasons would be published separately in August.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e21lac-megantic-rail-disaster-486e4824daThu, 14 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Canadian Press reported that the Supreme Court of Canada had refused to hear an appeal in the litigation against Canadian Pacific, leaving in place the rulings that the railway was not liable. As is its custom the court gave no reasons.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e20lac-megantic-rail-disaster-1106029719Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000The agency held an online public consultation and information sessions in Lac-Mégantic from 12 November 2025 to 30 January 2026, and a second consultation on a hydrogeological report from 18 to 29 June 2026, Transport Canada said.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e19lac-megantic-rail-disaster-0561395aa2Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000The railway operator and Transport Canada applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency for authority to build the 12.5 km bypass, according to Transport Canada.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e18lac-megantic-rail-disaster-c887732f1aWed, 26 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000The Quebec Court of Appeal dismissed all three appeals against the 2022 judgment, The Canadian Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e17lac-megantic-rail-disaster-c4261ded13Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000On the 10th anniversary TSB Chair Kathy Fox said three of the five recommendations had been closed and two, on preventing uncontrolled movements and on regulatory surveillance, remained open. She said uncontrolled movements of rail equipment still occur.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e16lac-megantic-rail-disaster-3b5f26a37cThu, 01 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000Quebec Superior Court Justice Martin Bureau ruled that Canadian Pacific's conduct was not the direct cause of the damages in suits brought by a class of residents, insurers and the Quebec government, placing responsibility on the locomotive engineer and MMA, The Canadian Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e15lac-megantic-rail-disaster-2467619c39Sun, 01 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000Canadian Pacific bought the Central Maine & Quebec Railway, the successor to MMA, in December 2019, according to a Transport Canada briefing note. Railway Age reported that Canadian Pacific Kansas City will own and manage the bypass.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e14lac-megantic-rail-disaster-67940587d1Fri, 11 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office announced that the federal government would fund 60 percent of a rail bypass around downtown Lac-Mégantic, then estimated at 133 million Canadian dollars. A Transport Canada briefing note said Quebec would fund the other 40 percent.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e13lac-megantic-rail-disaster-ca3ce5323fFri, 19 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000A jury at the Quebec Superior Court in Sherbrooke acquitted Harding, Labrie and Demaître of criminal negligence causing death after nine days of deliberation, CBC News reported. The defence had called no witnesses. The Crown said it respected the jury's decision.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e12lac-megantic-rail-disaster-a532d9344dTue, 22 Dec 2015 12:00:00 +0000MMA's Canadian monitor said the 460 million Canadian dollar fund was fully funded and the bankruptcy plans took effect. About 114 million dollars was to go to a wrongful death trust. The Bangor Daily News said 24 defendants, including oil companies, insurers and rail car companies, contributed.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e11lac-megantic-rail-disaster-04ee4fb4caFri, 09 Oct 2015 12:00:00 +0000A US bankruptcy judge in Portland, Maine, approved the plan for a victims' settlement fund, CBC News reported. Canadian Pacific did not contribute, saying it bore no responsibility, and dropped its objection after the plan was amended.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e9lac-megantic-rail-disaster-d8afcb7436Tue, 19 Aug 2014 12:00:00 +0000The TSB's final report found 18 factors contributed to the accident. It said MMA had a weak safety culture and no functioning safety management system, that a hand brake test was done with the locomotive air brakes still applied, and that Transport Canada did not audit MMA often or thoroughly enough.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e10lac-megantic-rail-disaster-215c7e1504Tue, 19 Aug 2014 12:00:00 +0000The TSB called for additional physical defences to prevent runaway trains (R14-04) and for Transport Canada to take a more hands on role auditing railways' safety management systems (R14-05).https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e8lac-megantic-rail-disaster-c6c75261efTue, 13 May 2014 12:00:00 +0000Quebec prosecutors charged Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, locomotive engineer Thomas Harding, rail traffic controller Richard Labrie and operations manager Jean Demaître with 47 counts each of criminal negligence causing death, RTÉ reported. The three men had been arrested the previous day. The railway's chairman was not charged.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e7lac-megantic-rail-disaster-5f6a3076f9Wed, 23 Apr 2014 12:00:00 +0000Transport Minister Lisa Raitt announced that the least crash resistant older tank cars, about 5,000 in service, would be barred from carrying crude oil or ethanol within 30 days and that other older cars must be phased out by May 2017, Reuters reported. Transport Canada's assistant deputy minister later told MPs the measures responded to interim TSB recommendations.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e6lac-megantic-rail-disaster-8e3532d298Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:00:00 +0000The TSB released a laboratory analysis of crude oil from tank cars of the train that did not derail and of a second train from the same origin. It said test results indicated the hazard posed by the oil was not accurately documented.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e5lac-megantic-rail-disaster-1f6ff08056Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:00:00 +0000The TSB sent Transport Canada recommendations on the vulnerability of Class 111 tank cars (R14-01), route planning for trains carrying dangerous goods (R14-02) and emergency response assistance plans (R14-03).https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e4lac-megantic-rail-disaster-49b0e4974cTue, 23 Jul 2013 12:00:00 +0000Transport Canada issued a first directive on 23 July 2013 with requirements on the operation of trains carrying dangerous goods, train securement and braking procedures, an assistant deputy minister told a House of Commons committee in June 2014.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e3lac-megantic-rail-disaster-b21c98bf3bSat, 06 Jul 2013 12:00:00 +0000At about 0115 EDT (05:15 UTC), travelling at 65 mph, the train derailed in Lac-Mégantic, the TSB said. Sixty three tank cars and two box cars left the track, about 6 million litres of crude oil was released, and the fires and explosions that followed killed 47 people and destroyed 40 buildings and 53 vehicles. About 2,000 people were evacuated.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e2lac-megantic-rail-disaster-0a488a7bcbSat, 06 Jul 2013 12:00:00 +0000The TSB said the train began moving downhill toward Lac-Mégantic at 0058:21 EDT (04:58 UTC), according to the event recorder, because the hand brakes alone could not hold it on the grade.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e1lac-megantic-rail-disaster-9c2de39867Sat, 06 Jul 2013 12:00:00 +0000A 911 call at 2340 EDT (03:40 UTC) reported a fire on the lead locomotive, MMA 5017, the TSB said. The engine was shut down at 2358:42 EDT (03:58 UTC) as part of the response, after which, the TSB said, air pressure in the locomotive brakes slowly dropped.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/lac-megantic-rail-disaster/#e0lac-megantic-rail-disaster-629f62fdb8Sat, 06 Jul 2013 12:00:00 +0000The TSB said Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway train MMA-002 stopped on the main track at Nantes at 2249:37 Eastern Daylight Time on 5 July (02:49 UTC on 6 July) by its event recorder. Seven hand brakes were applied, including on the buffer car, and a taxi arrived for the locomotive engineer at about 2330 EDT, according to the report.