New Lenox Rail Sense

March 7, 2008 / By Gina Kenny / The Herald News

NEW LENOX — About 50 people attended a town hall meeting to protest the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway by the Canadian National Railway.

Considering the EJ&J tracks cross five different main arterials in the village, it is not surprising that residents in attendance were almost universally in opposition to the acquisition.

One resident, a retired engineer from Canadian National, said he “disagreed with almost everything” presented at the meeting. “I am all for them going through (with the acquisition), but build overpasses,” he said.

Read the full article

March 6, 2008 / By CINDY WOJDYLA CAIN / The Herald News

Little progress was made Wednesday during a meeting designed to air concerns over the proposed sale of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railroad to Canadian National.

“We didn’t get very far,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said during a conference call with reporters.

Durbin and U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, met with H. Hunter Harrison, CEO of Canadian National. CN wants to buy the 198-mile EJ&E line so it can reroute its trains around congested tracks in Chicago. The 198-mile EJ&E stretches from Waukegan to Gary, Ind., and passes through several towns in Will County including Joliet and Frankfort.

Read the full article

Overpasses are called ‘cost of doing business’

March 5, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune

The Canadian National Railway Co. should pay the entire cost of building overpasses to eliminate blocked crossings in the suburbs along the rail line it wants to buy, opponents of the deal said Tuesday.

Even if it takes billions of dollars for dozens of overpasses, Canadian National should be required to put up all the money because the Montreal-based railroad would be the prime beneficiary, leaders of Barrington Communities Against CN Rail Congestion said at a meeting with the Tribune’s editorial board.

For a railroad that earned more than $2 billion in profits last year, building grade separations as needed along the 198-mile Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad is “the cost of doing business,” said Bruce Sauer, village president of North Barrington.

Read the full article

March 3, 2008 / By KATHY CICHON / The Herald News

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County officials are expected to formally notify Canadian National Railway next week that it cannot acquire or use a one-acre parcel of land in Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve in its plans to reroute freight traffic around Chicago.

The proposed sale of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern to Canadian National has raised concerns about increased train traffic in Joliet, Plainfield, New Lenox and other towns along the railroad.

Read the full article

Railway says traffic shift would help area

February 29, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune

The Canadian National Railway’s plan to divert freight traffic around Chicago’s congested rail corridor will have a negative impact on many communities and could jeopardize Amtrak and expanded Metra service, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Melissa Bean warned.

The Illinois Democrats blasted the railroad in a letter Thursday for failing to show “a willingness to meet the needs of the communities” where dozens of freight trains a day will be shifted in order to bypass clogged rail lines in the city.

Read the full article

February 26, 2008 / Northwest Herald

The planned purchase of the EJ&E Railroad has caused consternation throughout much of the suburbs.

Canadian National Railway in September plans announced to buy the railroad from U.S. Steel for $300 million. The purchase would mean that some communities in the suburbs would see fewer freight trains every day, but others would see many more trains.

Read the full article

February 25, 2008 / Bruce Sauer / Chicago Tribune

This is in response to “Crossings could be component of rail deal; Canadian National chief says company will share costs if EJ&E line sale Okd” (Metro, Feb. 13). The article quoted Canadian National President E. Hunter Harrison as willing to pay the company’s “fair share” of mitigation expenses.

What exactly does that mean?

If this acquisition is approved, it will have a detrimental impact on dozens of communities, including increased congestion, negative environmental impacts, decrease in property values, loss of business and, most important, it will jeopardize public safety.

Read the full article

February 22, 2008 / By REGAN FOSTER / Northwest Herald

SCHAUMBURG - A pending $300 million rail purchase that could increase the number of freight trains running along lightly used suburban lines has both winners and losers, Sen. Richard Durbin said Thursday.

Unfortunately, the senior senator from Illinois added, many of those who stand to lose the most live in the north and northwest suburbs.

Durbin and Rep. Melissa Bean met with suburban leaders Thursday to hear their thoughts on, among other topics, Canadian National’s pending purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad.

“This is a complicated proposal,” Durbin said. “We’ve got to work this thing out, not just jump on it.”

Read the full article