Operations began in 2014 as the Central Maine and Quebec Railway. [130][131] The Sret du Qubec raided MMA offices in Farnham on July25 as part of a criminal investigation into the Lac-Mgantic fatalities;[132] the Transportation Safety Board conducted its own search backed by the RCMP (the federal police in Canada) on August1. All written content, photos, and videos copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). [287], However, it would appear that many of the issues raised by the audit are not new. The site of the devastating 2013 train derailment, known locally as the tragedy, in Lac-Mgantic, Quebec.CreditIan Willms for The New York Times. [145], On August13, 2013, the Canadian Transportation Agency suspended the railway's Certificate of Fitness[146] effective August 20 because of its failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage,[147] shutting down the line. The train had locomotives that could automatically restart the air-brake system in the event of a brake failure, provided that these locomotives were not shut down, as they would be in this incident. (Smiths Falls) Laction de Canopy Growth a chut de 40%, vendredi, aprs que le producteur de cannabis a annonc avoir sign des accords avec ses prteurs garantis et non garantis pour rduire sa dette un plan qui entranera cependant lmission de 90,4millions dactions et dune nouvelle dette convertible. Today, the property is ", "Lac-Megantic: This Is Not an Accident, From Oscar Nominee Philippe Falardeau, Debuts Trailer Ahead of Canneseries, Hot Docs Premieres", Lives lost: Remembering Lac-Mgantics victims, Lac-Mgantic runaway train and derailment investigation (summary version of the TSB report), Railway Investigation Report (long version of the TSB report), Lac-Mgantic MMA Train Accident July 6, 2013, Audio: Train engineer and railway company talk as Lac-Mgantic burns, 5 Keys to Understanding Lac Megantic disaster, BOOM: North America's Explosive Oil-by-Rail Problem, VIDEO Boom: North America's Explosive Oil-by-Rail Problem, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lac-Mgantic_rail_disaster&oldid=1164026244, Neglect, defective locomotive, poor maintenance, driver error, flawed operating procedures, weak regulatory oversight, lack of safety redundancy, More than 30 buildings destroyed, 36 to be demolished due to contamination. They all act very much in concert to limit regulations and dilute them so they cant be properly enforced.. An air brake pipe connects to each car and locomotive on the train. Almost immediately after MMA began operations, two of the railway's largest customers, a pair of Great Northern Paper mills in Millinocket and East Millinocket, declared bankruptcy and shut down.[13][14]. save. Train 602: The scheduled departure from Jonquire is now at 22:50. After looking at the circumstances of the night of the derailment, the investigation was not able to conclude whether having another crew member would have prevented the accident. (NewYork) Le prsident de Teamsters a dclar dimanche quil avait demand la Maison-Blanche de ne pas intervenir si les travailleurs syndiqus dUPS finissaient par se mettre en grve. OTTAWA Its nearly silent approach belied the fiery death it was bringing. The freight train "MMA 2" departed the CPR yard in Cte-Saint-Luc[26][43] early in the day of July 5 and changed crews at the MMA yard in Farnham, Quebec. And a decade later, many rail safety experts say that changes to rules and how railways are regulated fall short of what is needed to avoid a repeat of the devastation a consequence, they say, of rail industry pushback. [208] A temporary system of aboveground pipes feeding water to Lvis from the Beaurivage River was expected to cost $2 million, not including any measures to protect the line against freezing in winter. In later years Cette socit new-yorkaise avait repris les actifs de MMA, au cot de 15,85millionsUS, lorsque lentreprise a dclar faillite en 2014. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) launched an investigation into the accident. The site of the devastating 2013 train derailment, known locally as the tragedy, in Lac-Mgantic, Quebec. MMA purchased the assets arising out of the 2002 bankruptcy of the holding company Iron Road Railways. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, If you are researching anything EMD related please visit, If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the, West Virginia Christmas Train Rides (2023): A Complete Guide, North Carolina Christmas Train Rides (2023), Passenger Trains In North Carolina (2023): A Complete Guide, 3603, 3605, 3607, 3609, 3613-3614, 5016-5018, 5021, 5023, 5026, 5078, 8522, 8225, 8536, 8539, 8541, 8544, 8546, 8548, 8553, 8560-8561, 8569, 8578, 8583, 8592, Canadian Irving, as owner of NBM Railways, is one of MMA Canada's largest unsecured creditors at $2.35 million. The decline of the pulp and paper industry as well as the lumber industry, which originally represented 60% of the railway's traffic base, had rendered a company worth $60 million in 2003 effectively worthless. MMA was formed in October 2002. [65] According to the TSB, the MMA's rail traffic controller was warned of the train having technical difficulties while the train was still in Nantes on the evening of Friday, July 5. La MM&A est responsable de cet vnement d l'insuffisance du serrage des freins main du train. The H15-44 was FM's first, and smallest, road-switcher, originally released in 1947. [205] The downtown was most affected; over thirty buildings destroyed by the disaster itself, with thirty-six of the thirty-nine remaining buildings slated for demolition due to contamination of the underlying soil. Also, the TSB found that the "reset safety control" on the lead locomotive was not wired to set the entire train's brakes in the event of an engine failure. Aux prises avec des difficults financires la fin des annes 2000, la compagnie ferroviaire installe des systmes de tlcommande dans ses locomotives, afin de rduire ses cots de main-duvre. under considerable scrutiny, which has forced the carrier into [1], People on the terrace at Musi-Cafa bar located next to the centre of the explosionssaw the tank cars leave the track and fled as a blanket of oil generated a ball of fire three times the height of the downtown buildings. MMAR began operations in January 2003, but within days of starting up announced a 25-per-cent reduction in employee salaries because of the unexpected bankruptcy of a Maine paper company that represented 25 per cent of all traffic on its system. The destruction of Lac-Mgantic led to rules requiring railways to hold operating permits much like airlines and develop safety management systems, but Ms. Fox said her agency was concerned about the adequacy of such plans, as well as the effectiveness of their oversight by Transport Canada, the department that regulates railroads. [73][45][74] The TSB's final report concluded that the train was travelling at 105 kilometres per hour (65mph), more than six times the typical speed for that location. [135] He asked that the tracks be repaired and rerouted to bypass the town's core. [188] If convicted the charges carry "a maximum fine of $50,000, a maximum jail term of six months. CP intends to fully defend itself in court, was the company's response. While US authorities have made Maine track inspection data available quickly, the Canadian government is expected to take eight months to a year to comply[needs update] with the Access to Information Act enquiries. The railway was 72.8% owned by Rail World ($54.7 million) and 12.8% by Caisse de dpt et placement du Qubec ($7 million) with the remaining minority stakes held by fifteen other private investors.[10]. Montreal Gazette: "Montreal, Maine and Atlantic files for bankruptcy protection", August 7. [233], Magog mayor Vicky May Hamm made an Access to Information Act enquiry for track inspection data, train scheduling information and products transported. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. [281], The Environmental Petitions[282] process of the federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development is one avenue for citizen redress, whereby the Minister is required to answer within 120 days. miles and dispatched about 25 trains a [353], Police helicopter view of Lac-Mgantic, the day of the derailment. bankruptcy by August. For his work on Lac-Mgantic, Campbell was awarded a Law Foundation of Ontario Community Leadership in Justice Fellowship. Acquisition Holdings, a division of the Fortress Investment Group. He said he wanted to call the U.S. office of MMA (in Hermon, Maine) as they would be able to give him other directives. The federal government should launch an arm's-length review of the railway regulatory framework, standards and industry practices. Disputes over the route of a rail bypass that will divert trains away from the center of Lac-Mgantic have delayed downtown reconstruction. [139] MMA announced that it intended to make future crew changes in Sherbrooke so that trains would no longer be left unattended; that city's mayor, Bernard Svigny, expressed concern that this would merely shift the hazard into the centre of Quebec's sixth-largest city. The proposed study was vetoed by the state's governor[260] and the Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) has no plans to review movements of crude oil through Maine. [300], A $200 million legal settlement was proposed in January 2015, but remains subject to government approval in both nations. With all the locomotives shut down, the air compressor no longer supplied air to the air brake system. [142] On August7, 2013, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in both the Quebec Superior Court in Montreal (under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act)[143] and the United States Bankruptcy Court in Bangor, Maine,[144] (under Chapter 11). When they could not find a level crossing to move the rail car mover back to the disaster site, they used a loader to remove another 4 tank cars, 2 at a time. We're trying to analyze that right now. Montreal-Maine-Atlantic-Railway MMA's assets were sold at auction to Railroad Acquisition Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Fortress Investment Group, LLC on January 21, 2014. [16], Freight volumes continued to drop as manufacturers, needing to meet customer demands for smaller quantity just in time delivery in order to reduce inventories, began to prefer trucking firms as faster and more reliable than MMA. Content of blended crude from multiple wells is not tested before loading, even though FRA indicates that it is critical that shippers determine the proper classification of the crude oil as a tanker with a higher safety classification (and not the standard DOT-111A car) is required for corrosive or explosive materials. [160] The same day, the Quebec government hired Paul Hastings, a Quebec bankruptcy specialist firm with standing in New York State, to represent it in American proceedings. Atlantic Railway trackage serving Maine as well as Quebec, New Brunswick In Quebec, MMA continued operation from Farnham with a skeleton staff after the derailment, having laid off 19 of its 75 workers without notice on July19[226] and an additional five on July30;[227] these workers have not received severance and vacation pay owed. [279], The federal government had been subject to intense lobbying by CPR and the Railway Association of Canada prior to the disaster, with railway association lobbyists meeting with multiple federal officials to inform about the movement of dangerous goods, including voluntary and regulatory requirements, volumes, customers and safety measures to assure them that current regulations for dangerous goods transportation are sufficient.[280] A similar situation exists in the US, with nearly $47 million/year in lobbying to delay safety measures such as positive train control. The BAR was never much known for its passenger services although it did provide to notable streamliners, the Potatoland Special and Aroostook Flyer, which operated until 1961 to complement several secondary trains. The runaway train passed 50 metres (160ft) behind him moving at highway speed. The effectiveness of hand brakes depends on several factors, including their age, their maintained condition, their application in conjunction with air brakes, and the force exerted by the person applying the brake, which can vary widely. Eventually, oil began to accumulate in the body of the turbocharger, where it overheated and caught fire on the night of the derailment.[39]. [201], Because the cleanup of the derailment area could take 5 years, about 115 businesses were planning to relocate. The FCM working group had three recommendations:[232], In Montmagny, a community on the CN line through Lvis, mayor Jean-Guy Desrosiers has expressed concern about the 60-mile-per-hour (97km/h) dangerous materials trains which have appeared increasingly frequently now that the former CP line through Lac-Mgantic is inoperable; neither the city nor police and fire responders are informed of the content of these shipments, leaving questions as to the readiness of the municipality to respond to further derailments. Portland Press Herald: "Maine economy tied to rail line's fate", July 14, 2013. [10] The rail line was owned by CPR until sold in segments in January 1995. The organizational chart highlights the reporting lines within the company, starting with Robert Grindrod - the President & Chief Executive Officer of Montreal . [52] However, the TSB agrees with a July 6 statement to police by Harding that he set hand brakes on just the five locomotive engines, a buffer car, and a car housing the remote control apparatus. [270][271], The disaster has drawn criticisms of federal deregulation of the rail industry in Canada. The eastern half of the line between Brownville Junction and Saint John was sold to the industrial conglomerate J. D. Irving, which established two subsidiaries: the Eastern Maine Railway and New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR). [276], In Canada, federal regulation requires rail carriers carry adequate third-party liability insurance but does not legislate a specific dollar minimum in coverage. It operates two of Maine's five railroad companies Maine Northern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway as well as Montreal, Maine and Atlantic's largest unsecured creditor, New Brunswick . [221][222][223][224][225], Following the accident, the MMA temporarily ceased operations on its lines between Lac-Mgantic and Jackman, Maine,[154] effectively severing rail transport on its lines between Maine and Quebec, though rail traffic continued outside the affected area. and St. Leonard, New Brunswick (to access the line they have trackage [182][183] Of the 79 railcars only 7 brakes had been applied, where MMA guidelines indicate 9 as a minimum and experts advise 15 brakes should have been used for the slope the train was on. [255][256], The premiers of Quebec and all four Atlantic provinces, as well as all six New England governors, have called for stricter federal regulation of dangerous goods by rail in both nations. Sa premire solution permet dj au spcialiste de la pierre architecturale Polycor de rduire ses pertes et le gaspillage, et cela nest quun dbut. Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway - Glassdoor [79] Between four and six explosions were reported initially[80] as tank cars ruptured and crude oil escaped along the train's trajectory. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. During its last few years of service the railroad operated just over 500 miles after its February, 2010 announcement that As the blazing oil flowed over the ground, it entered the town's storm sewer and emerged as huge fires towering from other storm sewer drains, manholes, and even chimneys and basements of buildings in the area. [220] Blanchet stated I will leave it up to lawyers, but lets be clear: under the law on environmental quality, the minister does not ask for, or suggest, compensation he orders it. The Maine regulator had already allowed SPTO status before the first week of April 2012. The rail industry, Ms. Fox said, has not been receptive to another safety suggestion by the transportation board: that railroads add chemicals to explosive cargos to reduce their flammability during shipment. The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway ( MMA) is an American regional railroad in Maine, Vermont, New Brunswick and Quebec. All of us have concerns in the back of our minds. [258], In Maine, where oil-by-rail has attracted environmental protests,[259] the state legislature voted 9152 for a study on transportation of crude oil through the state. The federal response acknowledged that inspections found three problematic track sections, but provided no further information. [100] Identification of additional victims became increasingly difficult after the August 1 end of the on-site search and family members were asked to provide DNA samples of those missing, as well as dental records. It was headquartered in Hermon, Maine. They went out and started running. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. ", "Quebec crash puts hand brakes on rail cars under scrutiny", "Lac-Mgantic investigators seek urgent rail safety review", "MMA et la rgle 112: des infractions rptition, aucune sanction", "Safety advisory letter to Transport Canada on the securement of unattended locomotives, July 19, 2013", "No rules against leaving unattended trains on main tracks: Transport Canada", "Lac Megantic explosion: Engineer Tom Harding 'beside himself' after disaster", "Lac-Mgantic: le conducteur du train reste muet", "Lac-Mgantic: le conducteur n'aurait pas respect les rgles de la MMA", "Broken piston led to train's crash into Canadian town, probe finds", "Lac-Mgantic: la lumire se fait lentement", "Lac Megantic explosion: Fire was doused on train and engine shut down before it smashed into Quebec town", "Nantes fire chief confirms late-night fire before explosion", "Cause du dsastre: le prsident de MMA contredit catgoriquement", "Que s'est-il pass avant le draillement Lac-Mgantic? [159], United States Federal Railroad Administration administrator JosephC. Szabo wrote to the MMA the following day, stating that "I was shocked to see that you changed your operating procedures to use two-person crews on trains in Canada, but not in the United States. Transport Canada and the MMA entered into a negotiation process at the culmination of which, sometime before the second week of July 2012, the government allowed MMA to reduce their manpower to SPTO. [263][264], The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration has launched a full re-inspection of the 275 miles (443km) of the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway's track in Maine. After the accident, the railway's safety record was called into question: over the previous decade the firm recorded a higher accident rate than the rest of the U.S. rail fleet, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway - Locomotive Wiki whether the SQ has plans to broaden the scope of their investigation to include, for example, the broker at World Fuel Services who chose to employ deficient DOT-111 tank cars. "[53], On July 30, 2013, the Maine Department of Transportation established contingency plans for MMA's rail clients,[54][55] contacting every Maine freight railroad to find an operator to carry local factory freight should MMA completely cease operation. [266] The FRA also established an "Emergency Order establishing additional requirements for attendance and securement of certain freight trains and vehicles on mainline track or mainline siding outside of a yard or terminal" on August2, 2013. [193] Soil decontamination was expected to take until December 2014 to complete, although the water table appeared to be uncontaminated. In comparison, Canadian National has 35,400 route kilometres of track and 22,000 employees, while CP has 23,600 kilometres of track and 16,100 employees. Le rseau administr par CMQ est constitu de 774 kilomtres de voies ferroviaires, majoritairement au Qubec et dans ltat amricain du Maine. Edward Burkhardt "[159] The CTA also held that issues regarding public safety were none of its concern. The city's downtown core suffered catastrophic damage, with many businesses and residential properties completely destroyed. ", "Lac Megantic explosion: Fire was doused on train and engine shut down before it smashed into Quebec town: Witness describes train moving shortly after fire crew left and shut off an engine", "Firefighter watched ghost train barrel past him moments before Lac-Mgantic derailment", "Canada train blast: At least one dead in Lac-Megantic", "Police launch 'unprecedented criminal investigation' into Lac-Mgantic train disaster", "L'incendie Lac-Mgantic a fait au moins un mort", "Lac-Megantic's resilience tested after 'le train d'enfer', "Maine fire crews assist in Quebec train explosion", "Explosions et incendie Lac-Mgantic: un mort", "One dead as train explodes in Lac-Mgantic, Quebec forcing residents to flee", "Lac Megantic explosion: Controversies and contradictions amid the despair; Focus shifts to other locomotives in deadly derailment", "Train Derailment and Fire, Lac Mgantic, Quebec: Natural Hazards", "Runaway train carrying crude oil explodes near Maine border; Quebec town center in ruins, at least 1 dead", "Cook at Lac-Mgantic caf escaped death twice", "Lac Megantic: Hospital eerily quiet after Quebec explosion", "At least one person dead in Lac Mgantic train derailment, explosion", "The silent train engineer at the centre of the storm", "Lac Megantic explosion: Ottawa approved having only one engineer on ill-fated train", "Le conducteur Harding aurait permis d'loigner des wagons du brasier", "The frantic moment when the train driver in Lac-Megantic raced to the scene", "Plusieurs travailleurs ont risqu leur vie sur la ligne de feu", "Lac Megantic, Que. "[77], The unmanned train derailed in downtown Lac-Mgantic at 01:14,[1][78] in an area near the level crossing where the rail line crosses Frontenac Street, the town's main street. On that date, a test train carrying particle board from the local Tafisa factory to Sherbrooke rolled through the town centre. operated a system that served Bangor and Searsport in the south with The train that bore down on Lac-Mgantic a decade ago had only a single crew member who parked the train about seven miles uphill from the town when his shift ended. An internal audit identified these same concerns over five years ago. Almost all of the derailed tank cars were damaged, many having large breaches. [58] However, there were no rules against leaving a train unlocked, running and unattended, even if it contained dangerous materials and was stopped on the main line, on a slope, in the vicinity of a residential area. Le prsident de la MM&A n'a jamais offert sa sympathie aux victimes. Most likely the new CM&Q will carry on operating the MM&A as it stood in its final form including the extreme northern tip of the former BAR system between Madawaska, The CTA legislation states that railway companies must give one year advance notice.[35]. [295] Afterwards, two more petitioners were added to the suit, Serges Jacques and Louis-Serge Parent. During a July 11 visit, Premier Marois criticized the rail company's response, while announcing a $60-million fund for survivor assistance and rebuilding. La MM&A est notamment l'origine de 11 incidents impliquant des matires dangereuses aux tats-Unis depuis 1998, dont huit incidents depuis la reprise de l'entreprise par Rail World, en 2003, selon le gouvernement amricain. La dernire modification de cette page a t faite le 5 fvrier 2023 07:52. The railroad was opened on November 19, 1847, with service between Bonaventure Station in Montreal and the St. Lawrence River in Lachine. It also targeted Union Tank Car Company, Trinity Industries and GE Capital Rail Services, claiming "non-reinforced older model DOT-111 tankers were wholly unsuitable for the transport of these highly explosive shale liquids". [53] By 00:13 two MMA track maintenance employees had arrived from Lac-Mgantic; the Nantes firefighters left the scene as the MMA employees confirmed to the police officer and to the Farnham rail traffic controller that the train was safe. Le Canadien Pacifique rachte l'ancienne Montreal, Maine and Atlantic [300] Another lawsuit filed in Chicago, Illinois on behalf of ten victims is asking for over $50 million in damages. On July 6, 2013, a Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway train carrying crude oil derailed causing 47 fatalities in downtown Lac-Mgantic, Qubec. [63], Witnesses recalled seeing the train seemingly unattended and in distress around 22:45 that night. The terms of the sale were announced in mid-February 2014 when the new railroad named Central Maine and Quebec Railway (reporting mark CMQ) was registered in the United States and Canada. [313] The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration launched a 'Bakken blitz' of inspections of North Dakota oil trains in August 2013, citing ongoing concerns about improper identification of the chemical composition and flash point of flammable cargo.[314]. It was all about cutting, cutting, cutting. Expecting the smoke to settle, they agreed to deal with the situation the following morning. A memorial to people killed in the disaster. Lac-Mgantic: What is Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway?