New Lenox Rail Sense

December 24, 2008 / By Marni Pyke and Nadia Malik / Daily Herald Staff

The sale of a train line that will affect rail traffic levels throughout the Chicago region got the final green light from federal regulators Wednesday - but suburban opponents vow to keep fighting it.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board unanimously approved the acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway line - which runs in an arc through around Chicago, from Waukegan to Gary, Ind. - by the Canadian National Railway Co.

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October 8, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune reporter

Couple wax lyrical about CN plans

Musicians Dan and Jenny Kortmann have a motto: “Whenever there’s a wrong that needs righting, there’s a song that needs writing.” The Lake Zurich couple think the Canadian National Railway’s plan for a rail superhighway through their town is on the wrong track, so they picked up their guitar and banjo and got to work.

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July 24, 2008 / By STEPHANIE KOHL / Lake Zurich Courier

The Lake Zurich Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement to join The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC) recently.

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By Robert Channick / June 29, 2008 / Chicago Tribune

Financial harm to towns cited as protesters target proposed rail acquisition

Arguments against Canadian National Railway’s proposed acquisition of a little-used freight line took a sharp turn Sunday at a Barrington rally from concerns over the quality of life to the grim economic realities in affected communities.

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By Gary Gibula / June 26, 2008 / Chicago Tribune

Proposed merger could quadruple freight-train traffic in collar county communities

Federal Surface Transportation Board officials toured Chicago suburbs this week to gauge how people and services could be disrupted by Canadian National Railway’s plan to buy 198 miles of area track, a move expected to quadruple freight traffic.

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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.

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Bean, Sullivan join objectors at hearing before Surface Transportation Board

February 12, 2008 / By DAN MORAN

LAKE ZURICH - Public opposition to the proposed Canadian National Railway purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line went into overtime Monday night as area residents lined up at Lake Zurich High School to pitch their cases to the federal government.

Though official public comment on the proposed sale was scheduled to end on Feb. 1, the deadline was pushed back to Feb. 15, giving both individuals and municipalities a chance to file their input with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board.

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