Lisa Raitt to enhance rail safety measures in wake of Lac-Mégantic

The federal government will require a three-year phase-out or retrofit of older tank cars that are used to transport crude oil by rail.

That's one of the changes that will be announced Wednesday by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt in response to recommendations by the Transportation Safety Board in the aftermath of the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, Que.

Raitt will make the announcement at 12:45 ET Wednesday in Ottawa. CBCNews.ca will carrying the press conference LIVE.

The TSB has called for the phasing out of the older-model DOT-111 tank cars that are widely used in the oil-by-rail industry because they were prone to punctures and gas buildup.

The transport minister will also announce that mandatory emergency response plans will be required for all crude-oil shipments in Canada.

In January, the Transportation Safety Board made three recommendations in response to the Lac-Mégantic explosion last July, in which 47 people were killed.

The TSB recommended:

Enhanced safety standards for Class 111 tank cars used to transport flammable liquids.

Railway companies that transport dangerous goods be required to conduct route planning and analysis.

Emergency response assistance plans be in place when large volumes of liquid hydrocarbons are shipped by rail.

More to come