Three years after a deadly train wreck in their town, a group of Lac-Megantic residents called for the railway to be diverted around residential areas.
The Coalition of Citizens rallied at 7 a.m. Wednesday in Nantes, where the train that rolled into Lac-Megantic had been parked.
Investigations have determined that the hand brakes were not able to hold the train in place, and it subsequently rolled downhill, only to derail at a bend in downtown Lac-Megantic.
The fire and explosions fueled by tanks of crude oil killed 47 people and destroyed a large section of the town.
According to the Coalition, the tracks that run through Lac-Megantic remain in poor shape.
Robert Bellefleur and other members called on the federal government to build a new rail line that would not go through the centre of Lac-Megantic.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau has long said the Lac-Megantic disaster shows rail safety needs to be improved, and in April told Lac-Megantic residents he spends half of his time working to improve rail safety.
With a file from The Canadian Press
