Tanker cars similar to the model that crashed in Lake Megantic are parked on the train's line near Farnham -
16 Jul 2013 Les Perreaux.

26 September 2013

Railway in Lake Megantic Disaster Granted Operating Extension

Ottawa Ontario - The U.S. company whose runaway oil tanker train exploded and killed 47 people in a small Quebec town in July can operate trains through 18 Oct 2013, Canadian regulators said on Thursday in a ruling that prolongs a temporary extension by about two weeks.
 
But the Canadian Transportation Agency said it had not yet decided whether to grant a request from Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) and its Canadian subsidiary for permission to continue operations until 15 Jan 2014.
 
The company filed for bankruptcy protection in August, just weeks after the Lake Megantic disaster.
 
The explosion obliterated the center of the lakeside town, and some 5.6 million litres of oil were spilled, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and cleanup costs.
 
The transportation agency said it is satisfied that the rail company holds adequate insurance to operate until 18 Oct 2013, and that it will rule on the request for an extension by then.
 
A 9 Oct 2013 bankruptcy court hearing could affect that decision, it added.
 
The agency had originally ordered MMA, which runs rail lines in Quebec and Maine, to cease operations in August due to inadequate insurance.
 
It lifted the order after the company provided documentation showing it had sufficient third-party insurance and enough funds to cover the self-insured portion of its operations.
 
Solarina Ho.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada