(The following story by Karen Binder appeared on The Southern website on March 3.)
CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean want to meet with the head of Canadian National Railway about the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern rail road.
The politicians, both Democrats, want to talk to CN CEO E. Hunter Harrison about the effect of the railway’s plans on Amtrak’s growing Chicago-Champaign-Carbondale route and on a suburban Chicago-area plan to expand its public rail system. A letter was sent to Hunter last Thursday requesting the meeting.
“An acquisition of this size will have a dramatic impact on the Chicago region for years to come,” the letter states. “At this point, Canadian National has not demonstrated a willingness to meet the needs of the communities along the EJ&E, provide long-term commitments to the region, or guarantee full cooperation with the proposed STAR Line and current Amtrak service, which leads us to oppose the acquisition as it stands today.”
The letter also contends that the railway’s plans would threaten the Amtrak route as well as increase EJ&E rail traffic by 400 percent and would greatly effect suburban traffic congestion and Metra’s public rail expansion.
While Durbin is from Springfield, Bean of Schaumburg represents the 8th Congressional District.