LAC-MEGANTIC, QUEBEC - Tafisa Canada, Inc. says the rail line serving its panel plant in in Lac-Mégantic is expected to become operational by year end.

The spur to the 650,000-square-foot Tafisa panel plant, which ordinarily carried 50 to 60 carloads of melamine panel weekly from the plant. While the plant and its employees were unharmed, the rail line along with downtown Lac-Megantic, was destroyed following an oil train derailment and explosion on July 6.

The plant is just east of the site of the devastating explosion. Tafisa, a unit of Sonae Industria of Portugal, opened the plant in 1992.

Tafisa President Louis Brassard told customers in a Sept. 4 letter that government authorities will begin construction of a new downtown area in a C$16 million initiative that includes a new bridge.

"Government authorities also announced that they are planning to implement a new rail line in Lac-Mégantic," Brassard told customers in a letter posted at the Tafisa website. "If all goes as planned, our products could leave the plant on rail cars before year end; this is a very positive development."

Brossard has been issuing regular communications to Tafisa melamine panel customers since the disaster.

"We will continue to provide information regarding this as the plan unfolds," Brassard noted last week. "As an active member of the business community, I must say that the recent developments make me feel optimistic about the future of our local economy."