(The following story by Kathy Cichon appeared on the Aurora Beacon News website on July 1.)
AURORA, Ill. — Hoping to stop in its tracks Canadian National Railway’s plan to acquire the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, area leaders are looking to Congress for some help.
At a press conference Monday afternoon at Bartlett’s train station, U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, unveiled the details of legislation he plans to introduce next week that would preserve a 36-mile stretch of the EJ&E as a “Corridor for Inter-Suburban Commuter Rail.”
The bill, dubbed the Reaching for the STAR Act, would ensure the rail line could still be used for the proposed Suburban Transit Access Route, which connects 100 communities between Joliet and O’Hare International Airport, including Aurora, Naperville and Elgin.
The act would allow the secretary of the Department of Transportation to designate a rail right of way as a corridor for inter-suburban commuter rail if it meets a list of criteria. The criteria include having an availability of existing rail infrastructure and plans for inter-suburban commuter rail and rail project that have previously been granted federal authorization. Once the corridor receives the designation, the Transportation Department would limit its use to a project for inter-suburban commuter rail.
“At a time when gasoline is four and a half dollars a gallon … we need to do everything we can to make sure there is efficient rail, there is commuter rail and that it makes sense,” Roskam said.
Roskam was joined for the announcement by county and municipal leaders from several towns, including members of The Regional Answer to Canadian National Coalition.
Naperville City Councilwoman Darlene Senger, who serves as a Naperville representative on TRAC, said anybody who sits in traffic on congested roads such as Route 59, Interstate 355 and Interstate 294 can understand the impact of the rail line.
“The whole point of the STAR line is to get people off road, out of the car and on the train,” she said.
Canadian National said Monday the proposed legislation “is going counter” to what the railway’s intent is — to support regional economic growth. The Montreal-based company wants to buy the EJ&E line — which passes through Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora and other nearby communities — so it can reroute traffic around congested tracks in Chicago.
Jim Kvedaras, senior manager of U.S. government and public affairs for CN, also reiterated CN’s position that it will work with Metra on the STAR line, whether it’s using existing or new tracks for the commuter line.
“We’ve given assurance we will work with Metra if and when the STAR line goes forward to find a way,” Kvedaras said.
But some area leaders remain skeptical that both freight and inter-suburban commuter traffic could coexist.
“I can tell you they’re not very reassuring,” said Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner. “We’ve heard nothing but very vague remarks.”
Naperville and the city of Aurora are in the process of planning a joint community meeting on the issue, which will likely be held later this month, Senger said.