New Lenox Rail Sense

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ISSUES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY ACQUISITION OF ELGIN, JOLIET & EASTERN RAILWAY

December 5, 2008 / Press release from Surface Transportation Board

The Surface Transportation Board announced today that its Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the proposed acquisition by the Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Corporation of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E).

Read the complete announcement

Posted August 29, 2008 / By the Village of New Lenox

NEW LENOX MOVES TO BLOCK CN RAIL PLAN

Attendance at Rally and Public Hearing Urged

NEW LENOX, IL-New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann is urging residents to rally behind the village’s decision to aggressively fight the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E Railway by the CN Railway.

“We had hoped that the CN would partner with us to lessen the impacts of a fourfold increase in train traffic through the village if the plan is approved, but it’s clear that the CN has no interest in doing this,” Baldermann said.

“Therefore, New Lenox will go on record with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) in opposition and we will testify before the STB at a public hearing in Joliet next month,” he said.

New Lenox residents are encouraged to attend the hearing to be held September 11, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at I-80 and Larkin Avenue. Moreover, the village will hold a community rally on September 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln-Way Central High School Auditorium (1801 East Lincoln Highway). Residents are also urged to write letters of opposition to the STB. Details on how to do this can be found at www.nlrailsense.net.

Baldermann said that New Lenox joined TRAC (The Regional Answer to Canadian National), a marshalling point for communities opposing the CN plan.

There are five at-grade rail crossings with the EJ&E, which operates six trains daily through town. The CN would increase that to 28 trains daily. Moreover, these are long, heavy freight trains. New Lenox and other communities are concerned about the blockage of multiple crossings if a train breaks down or stops for signals. “We are obviously concerned about the ability of first responders to answer calls for help and the traffic backups that could occur,” Baldermann said.

Surprised by the level of opposition, the STB ordered an environmental impact study of the CN plan, but the study, released in July, concluded that there would be no adverse impacts on New Lenox. “Whatever incentive the CN may have had to talk with us about grade separations or other mitigation evaporated with the conclusions of that report and we have no alternative but to fight,” Baldermann said.

NEW LENOX RESIDENTS:

Download a window poster

Download a flyer about the rally

August 21, 2008 / by Susan DeMar Lafferty / Neighborhood Star

If New Lenox is going to successfully oppose the Canadian National Railroad’s efforts to take over the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad tracks, the effort has to come from the people, said Trustee Annette Bowden.

The village will be staging a rally Sept. 10 to make citizens aware of the impact CN could have on the local community. The Canadian railroad company wants to acquire the EJ&E tracks that surround the city of Chicago, from Griffith, Indiana, to Joliet and north to Waukegan. It plans to add four times more trains, 8,000 feet long or more, running 24 hours a day.

Read the complete article

On Friday, July 25, the Surface Transportation Board release STB Finance Docket No. 35087, Canadian National Railway Company and Grand Trunk Corporation - Control - EJ&E West Company; Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Here is the opening paragraph of the document:

“The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) is pleased to provide you with your copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad by Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Corporation (Applicants). This Draft EIS analyzes the environmental impacts that might occur if the Applicants were to acquire and operate trains over the EJ&E Railroad, an approximately 200-mile long railroad that forms an arc from the northwest to the southeast suburbs of Chicago, approximately 40 miles outside the city. The potential environmental impacts to both the human and the natural environments that could result from the proposed acquisition are compared to the environmental impacts of continuing rail operations on the EJ&E rail line and the five CN rail lines that feed into Chicago.”

Click here to download the complete study directly from the STB’s Web site.

March 26, 2008 / By Patrick Ferrell Staff Writer / Joliet Herald News

NEW LENOX — The village board on Monday authorized yet another study aimed at fighting Canadian National’s proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway.

Trustees approved a $7,000 contract with Hoffman Estates-based Metro Transportation Group to develop traffic projection for 2030 on five key north-south roads that intersect with the EJ&E tracks.

Read the complete article

Press Release / March 20, 2008 

The Will County Board passed Resolution #08-123 (on Thursday, March 20) opposing the Canadian National Railway’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E, and urging the Surface Transportation Board to deny the CN application.

James Moustis, Will County Board Chairman, said: ”This is one of many local governmental resolutions that has been or will be passed in opposition to a transaction that because of its security, safety, environmental and transportation impacts will cause irreparable harm to our County and the region. I, personally, and the Will County Board look forward to working with [the Village of New Lenox] to oppose and defeat the pending application of the Canadian National Railway Company to purchase the EJ&E.”

Download the resolution

Get the latest information about the impact on New Lenox…

New Lenox will hold a town meeting on the impacts of increased rail traffic through the community resulting from the pending acquisition of the EJ&E Railway by the Canadian National Railway.  Public comment and questions are encouraged.

UPDATE: View a report on the meeting, along with photos and the slide show

Saturday, March 1, 2008
10:30 a.m.
Village Hall (1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox, Ill.)

The meeting will include an informational slide show and a question-and-answer session. Expected speakers include:

• Tim Baldermann, Mayor
• Russ Loebe, Village Manager
• Village legal staff

Illinois State Sen. Christine Radogno and State Rep. Renee Kosel are expected to be in attendance.

Any individual requiring special accommodations as specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act is requested to notify the Village of New Lenox - ADA Compliance Coordinator at (815) 485-6452 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting date. For more information visit: http://www.newlenox.net/.

Village trustees have also adopted an action plan.

In response to inquiries from the public, The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is providing additional guidance on how to participate in the economic and environmental analyses of the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company by Canadian National Railway Corporation and Grand Trunk Corporation.

Read the full announcement