(The following story by Diana Newton appeared on the Pioneer Press website on December 11.)
CHICAGO — Canadian National Railway and Mundelein have reached agreement on ways to lessen the impact if CN goes through with plans to purchase the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company.
Communities along the EJ&E line, including Mundelein, raised concerns about increased train traffic and how that might affect noise, traffic and emergency vehicles. Canadian National has been trying to work with communities to allay concerns.
The Mundelein Village Board voted unanimously Monday night to approve the mitigation agreement, following a closed session. Canadian National made its own announcement of the agreement Tuesday.
According to Canadian National, the railway will assist in the maintenance of quiet zones and take various steps to increase the fluidity of train movements through Mundelein, as well as improve safety, communications, emergency preparedness and Metra access.
This is the fifth agreement Canadian National has worked out with a community affected by the proposed purchase of the EJ&E. The other towns include Joliet, Crest Hill and Chicago Heights in Illinois, as well as Dyer, Ind. CN also reached an agreement with Amtrak.
The agreement is contingent upon regulatory approval of CN’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E. The transaction is being reviewed by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), which is encouraging voluntary mitigation agreements between CN and communities.
$500,000 payment
Canadian National will pay $500,000 toward engineering design or other improvement at Route 60/83, one area of concern because increased train traffic could block car traffic and emergency vehicles. The money will fund a feasibility study to see if it would be possible to realign the EJ&E line to go under the highway. The project would cost $50 million and require federal funding.
“With every big project, you have to take that first step,” said Village Administrator John Lobaito. “The first step is you have to do the feasibility study. This is a long-term project.” The railway also will contribute $500,000 toward the design of a bypass around Allanson Road, another area of concern because of traffic. The money could go toward a project to run the railroad above Allanson. But the village has not determined if that is necessary so the money could go for an overpass/underpass at the Metra station or other improvement.
Canadian National also will pay the village $400,000 toward emergency response equipment and/or construction of a pedestrian overpass/underpass at the Mundelein Metra Station. It also will consent to establishing access to the Metra platform from the east side for a period of five years. One concern was emergency response time, especially south of Route 60 when access is blocked by a train.
“This is funding for the purchase of equipment,” Lobaito said. “For example, we could purchase an emergency response vehicle, an ambulance, and station that with Countryside Fire specifically for coverage south of Route 60. Or we could have it at the Mundelein station so we have greater capacity than we have now.”
The railway will pay $125,000 to the village for the installation of median barriers and driveway relocations necessary to maintain a quiet zone on the CN line.
The village would like to remove the automated horns and create a full quiet zone, and it qualifies to do so. But certain crossing improvements are necessary in order to meet the quiet zone qualifications. This payment covers the estimated cost of these improvements.
Quiet zone
Canadian National will fund additional measures to maintain the existing quiet zone on the EJ&E line.
The railway also will help keep trains moving by improving the connection from the CN to the EJ&E (the curve) to accommodate train speeds of 30 mph. The curve improvement to 30 mph is critical to reducing the impact of slow-moving trains across Allanson Road. The current rating of the curve is 10 mph. Original plans did not call for improvements.
Canadian National will rehab the Hawley Street crossing within one year from the date of acquisition to make it a smoother crossing, estimated to cost $125,000 and will pay Mundelein $100,000 for installation of privacy fencing and/or landscaping west of Route 45 to the village boundary. This affects the new townhome projects along Hickory Street.
Canadian National also will pay $50,000 to Mundelein for noise mitigation at West Oak Middle School.
The railway and the village also will execute an agreement so that emergency personnel are notified when crossings are blocked.
“There has not been a clear protocol for communicating that to emergency personnel, and it’s important, particularly because Condell Medical Center is east of us,” Lobaito said.