The Ghost Train That Destroyed a Town | Lac Mégantic Disaster Case Study

In 2013, a runaway train with no crew, no lights, and 72 tank cars of crude oil tore into Lac Mégantic, Quebec — triggering Canada’s deadliest modern rail disaster.
At 1:14 a.m. on July 6th, 2013, a silent, unmanned train derailed on a curve in Lac Mégantic. The resulting firestorm — fueled by six million liters of volatile Bakken crude — leveled the downtown, claimed 47 lives, and left a permanent scar on the town and rail safety history.
In this An Ounce disaster case study, we break down the chain of mechanical failures, human decisions, and systemic weaknesses that led to the catastrophe — and the lessons still unlearned.
If you think the systems we rely on are fail safe, this story might change your mind.
Watch more stories like this on An Ounce:
[Insert URL to related episode — recommend Halifax Explosion once both are in the same playlist]

If you value clear, honest storytelling about real disasters and the lessons they leave behind, like this video, subscribe to the channel, and share it with someone who thinks “it can’t happen here.”

#AnOunce #LacMegantic #TrainDisaster #DisasterCaseStudy #RailSafety #CanadaHistory
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Chapters (Timestamps)
00:00 – The Ghost Train
00:51 – Set-Up
02:01 – The Spark
03:56 – The Ghost Train Rolls in
05:39 – The Response
06:40 – Outcomes: The Cost
07:16 – Outcomes: Lessons Learned
08:02 – What We Missed?
09:10 – An Ounce
09:40 – Firefighting Chaos

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Authoritative References with URLs
1. Transportation Safety Board of Canada – Full Official Report
Primary investigation report with findings, causes, and timeline.
🔗 https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/r13d0054/r13d0054.html
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2. CBC News Interactive Coverage (Includes survivor quotes, images, and maps)
Excellent resource for human stories, political context, maps, and aftermath.
🔗 https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/lac-megantic/
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3. Wikipedia Summary with Many Cited Sources
Includes citations from TSB, Reuters, Globe and Mail, and CBC.
🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-Mégantic_rail_disaster
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4. YouTube: Aerial Footage and Aftermath Clips (Public Footage)
Aerial shots and survivor videos. May contain content usable with credit or editing.
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khpEAfYzTnc
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U46ikEotb8
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5. Google Image Search for Public Photos
Use filters like “labeled for reuse” for royalty-free visuals.
🔗 https://www.google.com/search?q=Lac-M%C3%A9gantic+rail+disaster+2013&tbm=isch&tbs=il:cl
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6. TSB Canada Infographics and Diagrams
Often embedded in their reports or retrievable through archive tools.
🔗 https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/r13d0054/r13d0054.html#appendix
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Sources and Credits:
Music: Torsion by Density & Time via YouTube music library
Certain images, tables, and excerpts used in this documentary are provided by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
Original report: Railway Investigation Report R13D0054
Available at: https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/r13d0054/r13d0054.html#photo-13
© Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Used under the Government of Canada’s Open Government License. Content has been reproduced for educational and documentary purposes with attribution. The TSB does not endorse this video or its interpretations.
Additional images via iStock and Getty