(Dow Jones Newsires circulated the following story by Monica Gutschi on April 14, 2009.)
TORONTO — Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI) says it is unhappy about the frequency with which its trains are blocking street crossings in Chicago and plans ways to cut them back.
In the first of its monthly reports to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the Montreal-based railroad said there were 50 instances in February and March during which one of its trains blocked a street crossing for more than 10 minutes.
Most took place before CN Rail began operating the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway on March 11, and most took place between midnight and 5 a.m., the railroad said in its report. Nevertheless, CN Rail said it working to reduce the frequency of such events through better communications, crew training, and positioning of railcars. As well, it said the infrastructure investments it plans to make in the area will help reduce the number of future blockages.
CN Rail’s report to the STB also noted it had three accidents in the Chicago area during February and March, two of which took place on the EJ&E after it took over the short-line railway.
CN Rail purchased a major portion of the EJ&E for $300 million last year in a bid to reduce the most significant bottleneck on its network. The purchase was widely opposed by residents and municipalities bordering Chicago worried about increased train frequency, environmental damage and the potential for traffic delays.
As part of its approval of the acquisition, the STB has mandated monthly operating reports and quarterly environmental reports over a five-year oversight period.