(The following story by Tony Solano appeared on the Barringon Courier-Review website on August 28, 2009.)
CHICAGO — The Regional Answer To Canadian National (TRAC) coalition filed two petitions with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board Thursday.
The petitions were in response to Canadian National Railway Co.’s recent request for track rights exemptions to change the flow of freight train traffic on 17 Chicago area rail lines, including the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad.
Members of the TRAC coalition, which is co-chaired by Barrington Village President Karen Darch, believe CN’s request could be aimed at expanding the number of trains that run on the EJ&E line and even adding trains to lines closer to the city that were supposed to see relief with the acquisition of the EJ&E.
The STB released a document on Aug. 17 asking CN for more information.
“Neither CN nor any of the carriers submitting these notices has explained how the notices relate to each other, or how they would impact the operational information provided to the Board in CN-EJ&E,” the document stated.
CN filed a response on Aug. 21 which explained the track rights exemption is needed to increase flexibility in its operations. The document also included maps of the affected tracks.
“The trackage rights CN seeks here will not have any impact on the authority it received in CN-EJ&E, nor will they have any effect on the Board’s review of CN’s Operating Plan or of the environmental impacts of the transaction approved in that case,” the document stated.
TRAC filed a petition asking the Surface Transportation Board to stay a decision on the trackage rights request until it is determined how the change in trackage rights would impact the STB’s approval of CN’s purchase of the EJ&E Railroad. The purchase was approved on Dec. 24, 2008.
The second TRAC petition requests the STB reopen its decision to approve the purchase so the Board can conduct a new environmental impact study which includes the trackage rights changes.
It was not clear when the STB would rule on CN’s track rights request or the subsequent TRAC petitions.