(The following story by Kathy Cichon appeared on the Suburban Chicago News website on May 23.)
CHICAGO — Based on a preliminary independent analysis of the data, officials with Canadian National Railway said they do not see a need for under/overpasses at any of the crossings along the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, including those in Plainfield.
“We have looked at the route, have looked at each and every crossing, and we don’t see any crossing that would require any grade separation,” said Jim Foote, executive vice president of sales and marketing for CN.
The analysis was done using criteria from the Illinois Department of Transportation. After the purchase is completed, none of the crossings would fall within the top 50 in need of separation.
But that doesn’t mean the railway won’t sit down and talk with local communities about the possibility of working together with other funding partners, the company clarified after Foote’s briefing last week before the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.
“There is no ultimatum, there is nothing drawn in the sand that says we’re not going to build grade separations,” said Jim Kvedaras, senior manager of U.S. government and public affairs for CN.
In September, CN announced plans to buy EJ&E, pending approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The Montreal-based company wants to buy the line so it can reroute traffic around congested tracks in Chicago. The line passes through Plainfield and several neighboring communities. Should the sale go through, train traffic in the Plainfield area is expected to increase.
While CN says the plan has several regional benefits, the proposal has drawn the ire of area residents and leaders who question the impact on traffic, safety and quality of life. At last week’s briefing, U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale, voiced her concerns about the effects of the sale.
“Communities along the EJ&E line … are still trying to determine the total cost of mitigating the impact of the additional trains. And while we don’t know the exact cost yet, you can be sure that it’s going to be much more than the total $40 million that CN is currently offering,” Biggert said.
Last week, CB filed a request with the Surface Transportation Board seeking a timeline, including a final decision by Dec. 1. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, sent a letter to the board urging it to reject CN’s request.
“For a case and level of involvement that has been recognized by all participants and the (board) to be unprecedented, an EIS process that is completed in less than the typical time of 18 months to several years, as cited by the board as an average, would jeopardize the ability of the board to do the comprehensive investigation warranted and undermine the credibility and authority of the EIS recommendations,” they wrote.