Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments by my colleague across the way. I would like to thank the member for raising the question regarding the community of Lac-Mégantic, which experienced one of the most tragic moments in Canadian transportation history. Our thoughts continue to be with the friends and families of the victims of that tragedy.
As mentioned by the member of Parliament in his initial question, the Minister of Transport recently launched a statutory review of Canada's Railway Safety Act, a year ahead of schedule. One of the most important things we can do is review our rail safety legislation to ensure that it meets the needs of industry and Canadians. We are pleased that we were able to launch this review earlier than planned, and we look forward to the panel's recommendations.
Moreover, this year, under the rail safety improvement program, we are investing more than $20 million to fund railway and grade-crossing improvement projects and initiatives to raise awareness of rail safety. The aim is to prevent injuries and fatalities. In total, our government is investing $55 million, over three years, in the program as an essential component of our commitment to improving rail safety for Canadians.
Furthermore, Transport Canada remains in communication with l’Institut en Culture de Sécurité Industrielle de Mégantic and continues to collaborate with it, notably on files relating to first responder training.
As for the rail bypass project, our government continues to work in collaboration with the municipality and the province on the feasibility study. The work is ongoing, and I am confident that all parties involved will continue to collaborate to ensure the success of this project. The Minister of Transport has personally committed to this file and will remain in close communication with the mayor and the Government of Quebec to that effect.
Let me reiterate that our government is committed to improving rail safety. This is a top priority for the Minister of Transport.