Nantes, Frontenac railway operations to move to Lac-Mégantic industrial park

The governments of Canada and Quebec have announced the relocation of the Nantes and Frontenac railway operations in the Eastern Townships to a neighbouring Lac-Mégantic industrial park.

The activities currently being carried out in Nantes and Frontenac will be integrated into the plans and specifications for a bypass project in Lac-Mégantic.

READ MORE: Small train derailment near Lac-Mégantic

The two governments believe this decision meets the demands of residents as well as the mayors of Lac-Mégantic, Nantes and Frontenac. They say it will optimize the safety of railway operations and the transportation of dangerous goods.

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Trains are currently parked at the top of the slope leading to Lac-Mégantic, and moving the railway yard will reportedly fix this problem.

READ MORE: Lac-Mégantic marks sixth anniversary of rail disaster

The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in 2013 was caused by a convoy of crude oil that had been parked in Nantes at the top of the slope. The poorly immobilized train hurtled down the coast before derailing at high speed in Lac-Mégantic, causing a fire that killed 47 people and destroyed the downtown core.

The federal government will cover 60 per cent of the costs to relocate the Nantes and Frontenac railway operations to the industrial park in Lac-Mégantic. The province will cover 40 per cent.

The Town of Lac-Mégantic stated that changing rail yard and storage activities was gaining consensus in the region.

— With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise