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7/21/2026
The Canadian Transportation Agency has approved an application submitted by CPKC on behalf of the Central Maine and Quebec Railways Canada Inc. (CMQR), for the construction of the Lac-Megantic railway bypass and associated infrastructure.
The application, submitted in September 2025, included environmental studies, consultation reports and a monitoring plan. CMQR was acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway in December 2019; CP merged with Kansas City Southern to become CPKC in April 2023.
In reaching its decision, the CTA considered the location of the proposed bypass, CPKC’s operational and service requirements, and held online and in-person public information sessions to hear interests and concerns raised by local and Indigenous communities.
When completed, the approximately 8-mile bypass will permanently route railroad traffic away from downtown Lac-Megantic, Quebec, where a train derailment in 2013 led to the deaths of 47 people and destroyed the city's downtown area. The derailment also caused 1.6 million gallons of crude oil to spill and forced 2,000 residents to be evacuated from their homes.
CMQR is responsible for design and construction of the bypass and will own it. Upon completion, the bypass will become part of CPKC's network.
A start date for construction has not yet been announced; once it begins, construction is expected to take five years to complete.