(The following report appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on July 11.)
CHICAGO — A coalition opposed to the planned acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. is hiring public relations consultants and lobbyists to try to persuade federal regulators to reject the plan, a Will County official said Thursday.
Canadian National Railway has proposed paying $300 million to acquire the EJ&E and its 198 miles of track to bypass rail congestion in Chicago. But the plan has ignited a storm of opposition.
Opponents have formed a coalition called The Regional Answer to Canadian National, or TRAC, which plans to lobby against the purchase.