Canadian National Railway tries to force decision on purchase of suburban rail line
September 19, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune reporter
Asks federal court to order board to rule by Dec. 1
The Canadian National Railway asked a federal court in Washington on Thursday to force regulators to decide by Dec. 1 whether the railroad can buy a suburban rail line to bypass Chicago rail congestion.
The move followed the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s refusal last week to shorten its process so the railroad could close its $300 million deal for the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway before a Dec. 31 deadline. CN’s plan to reroute freight traffic has stirred controversy in dozens of suburbs along the 198-mile rail line from Waukegan to Joliet to Gary, Ind. Many towns are alarmed at the prospect of blocked crossings because of a tripling or quadrupling of freight trains.
