5 years after Lac-Mgantic tragedy, residents still waiting to feel safe

Rail safety advocates say that five years after the Lac-Mgantic train derailment, not enough has been done to prevent similar tragedies from happening elsewhere in Canada.

On July 6, 2013, 47 people died when a train loaded with 7.7 million litres of fuel rolled unmanned into the downtown core and explodedin the middle of the night.

Commemorative events honouring thevictimswill take place throughout the day on Friday.

Meanwhile acitizens' committee for rail safety and surveillance will mark the disaster byheading north to the neighbouring town ofNantes, where the train started rolling down the steep hill towardLac-Mganticin 2013.

"Five years after the tragedy we have not seen a significant improvement of rail safety measures," said Robert Bellefleur, a spokesperson for the Coalition des citoyens et organismes engags pour la scurit ferroviaire.

Tanker cars carrying dangerous goods are regularly parked at the top of this steep hill above the town,Bellefleur said,a disturbing image for people who drive past.

"The main risk factor that contributed to the tragedy is not even solved," said Bellefleur.

The federal and provincial governments this year promised a new track to bypass the town, but in the meantime, trains are still following the tracks that were at the centre of the disaster.

More runaways since Lac-Mgantic

In its 2014 incident reporton the tragedy, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) found an insufficient number of hand brakes had been applied.

Transport Canada then toughened its standards, requiringcompanies to havemore substantial"physical defences to prevent runaway equipment."

Nonetheless, incidents of runaway trains have increased by10 per centsince 2013, according to a recent report released by the TSB.

"We know that a lot hasbeen done, but whatever has been done hasn't been enough because we've seen the numbers go up," said TSBChairKathleenFox.

In 2017, 62 incidents of uncontrolled train movementswere reported to theTSB.

While many happened inside train courtyards and didn't lead toserious incidents, theirfrequency remains alarming, said Fox.

The TSBis calling on the government to address the issue to fully meet its 2014 recommendations.

"The job isn't done. More needs to be done to reduce the risk of this type of accident in the future," said Fox, including more extensive training for crews and more advanced backup systems.

For his part,Bellefleur is far from convinced bythese new safety measures, including the decision to phase out DOT-111 cars.

The TSBhad called for the removal of the thinner-hulled tanker cars for more than 20 years, underlining their vulnerability in case of a crash.

But Bellefleur said DOT-111scontinue to roll through Lac-Mganticcarryingdangerous materials, like hydrogen and ethanol,even though they can no longer carry crude oil.

"For us, what[the Minister of Transport Marc] Garneaudid is purely cosmetic."

No one with Transport Canada was available for an interview. In an email, a spokespersontold CBCthe officehas taken "several targeted measures to strengthen the safety of the railway system."

Controversy over bypass

Meanwhileresidents in downtown Lac-Mgantic are holding onto the hope the train will no longer pass through the centre of town.

"We hear it five times a night, screaming its right of passage," said Paul Dostie, a retired French teacher who lives near the tracks.

For Dostie, who raised his family in Lac-Mgantic, the only thing keeping him from moving away is the promise made by the federal and provincial governments last May to build a bypass around the downtown core.

"I'm not going anywhere. Unless the train stays, then I'm leaving," said Dostie.

The bypass itself has been controversial, coming as a surprise to the dozens of homeowners who will be expropriated by 2022 to make place for the new rail line, west of the existing tracks.

A large portion of the population was however relieved to know the reconstruction would go ahead.

"If we fail, it's like we're telling everyone who supported us that there is no hope," said Dostie.