(The following story by Joseph Sjostrom appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on December 14.)
CHICAGO — DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom has asked a federal railroad board for permission to participate in talks on Canadian National Railway Corp.’s proposed railroad acquisition of Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co., saying it could have serious congestion and safety consequences for the county.
EJ&E operates 200 miles of track in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois, including an arc from Indiana west to Joliet, north to Barrington and east to Waukegan. If the acquisition is approved, CN would shift some trains from congested tracks in the Chicago area to the lesser-used EJ&E tracks.
EJ&E Railway traverses the north-south length of DuPage County near its western boundary and makes grade-level crossings of 26 streets, one sidewalk, four other railroads and four locations on the Illinois Prairie Path, according to a county report.
The report states EJ&E traffic now amounts to 4.4 freight trains per day from West Chicago northbound and 10.7 freight trains per day from West Chicago southbound. If acquired by CN, those numbers would increase to 24.4 trains per day northbound and 34.5 southbound.
Schillerstrom said Thursday the increases would adversely impact the communities along the EJ&E line. He cited the potential increase in delays to street traffic blocked by passing trains, as well as increased noise and lowered air quality.
The letter sent Tuesday to the Surface Transportation Board said the county intends to become a Party of Record in deliberations, a status that would allow it to ask questions and propose solutions.
Schillerstrom said county officials have not spoken to CN officials.
A CN official said the company has made presentations on the proposed acquisition to a number of municipal officials, and meetings are scheduled soon with officials in West Chicago, Warrenville, Aurora and Naperville.