New Lenox Rail Sense

September 12, 2008 / BOB OKON / Joliet Herald News

AREA OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS TELL FEDERAL BOARD: NO MORE TRAINS AND NOT ON OUR DIME

JOLIET — Opponents to the Canadian National Railway plan questioned why the company should be allowed to profit at the expense of local residents and taxpayers.

Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland even accused the Montreal-based railroad of seeking taxpayer subsidies for a venture that ultimately will take jobs away from workers in the United States because Canadian National is expanding port operations in Canada.

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July 24, 2008 / By ANDRE SALLES / Joliet Herald News

David Brauer has train tracks running next to his back yard.

On Wednesday night, Brauer joined roughly 1,500 people who live along the EJ&E line at Waubonsie Valley High School’s Gold Campus in Aurora.

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April 22, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune reporter

Suburbs join forces and ask Congress to help stop bid to re-route train traffic

Suburban leaders fighting the Canadian National Railway’s plan to boost freight train traffic through their communities bolstered their ranks Tuesday and called on Congress to force the railroad to pay to lessen the trains’ impact or else help stop the deal. Several more suburbs, including Aurora, Naperville and Plainfield, joined a coalition of Barrington-area communities to fight Canadian National’s plans to divert freight trains through the outlying suburbs.

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April 2, 2008 / By Justin Kmitch and Melissa Jenco / Daily Herald

In two separate boardrooms in neighboring communities, allies plotted Tuesday night, and pledged several thousands of dollars to prevent Canadian National’s proposed buy-out of the EJ&E rail line.

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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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Number of trains in area could nearly triple if deal approved

February 1, 2008 / By KATHY CICHON, Staff Writer / Naperville Sun

Naperville residents and officials increasingly are concerned about a Canadian National Railway proposal to buy the 118-year-old EJ&E line for $300 million.

Should the sale go through, train traffic in the area is expected to nearly triple from 15.7 trains per day to 42.3 trains - nearly two trains an hour.

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