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MMA Railway lays off nearly one-third of Quebec workforce in wake of Lac-Megantic

An engineer checks the engine of a Montreal Maine and Atlantic locomotive outside the offices of MMA railway in the town of Farnham, Que., on July 11, 2013. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

The railway involved in the fatal Quebec derailment is said to have laid off five more employees.

A union says the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway has now cut nearly one-third of its Quebec workforce since one of its trains derailed in downtown Lac-Megantic and killed an estimated 47 people.

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It says the layoffs today of five Farnham-based MMA workers means 24 of the railway’s 75 employees in the province have lost their jobs since the July 6 tragedy.

The U.S.-based company let go 19 Quebec workers earlier this month – citing the disaster’s impact on the business.

The future of the railway is in doubt as it faces imposing financial hurdles – including several lawsuits and mounting environmental cleanup costs.

The United Steelworkers says the five employees were told about the cuts this morning by telephone.

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