(The following story by Bob Okon appeared on the Suburban Chicago News website on January 10.)
CHICAGO — That train could be a-comin’ about every half-hour at certain crossings in Joliet and Plainfield if a railroad merger goes forward as planned.
Canadian National Railway’s planned acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line is the topic of public information and input meetings today in Joliet.
One topic on a lot of people’s minds is the train traffic that Canadian National could bring.
EJ&E railroad crossings north of the company railyard in Joliet would see 45 trains a day instead of the 18 trains that go through daily now, according to CN projections.
That would be a train every 32 minutes, said Colin Duesing, a long-range planner for Will County, which is developing its own study of the potential impact of CN’s plan.
Currently, a train is at those crossings about once every hour and 20 minutes, according to the county calculations.
“We don’t have a formal position (on the merger),” Duesing said. But the county is preparing its own impact study to present to federal regulators who eventually must OK the merger.
Meanwhile, the public can find out more about the merger and point out potential problems that should be examined at what are called “scoping meetings.” There are two today in the ballroom at the Jacob Henry Mansion, 15 S. Richards St. in Joliet. The meetings are 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. People can come and go, and offer written comments about how expanded train operations might affect life in Will County.
The CN plan will have varied impact at different crossings in Joliet, said James Haller, director of community and economic development for the city.
“Our biggest effect will probably be at Division Street behind the Toys “R” Us warehouse,” said Haller, pointing to one of the crossings north of the EJ&E railyard. The Division Street crossing also is a connector route to Joliet’s main retail district around the Westfield Louis Joliet mall.
The Essington Road crossing north of the mall area also is likely to see a large impact, Haller said.
Joliet crossings east of the EJ&E yard include spots at Woodruff Road, Washington Street, Rowell Avenue, Mills Road and Spencer Road.
The line than continues into New Lenox and Frankfort, where village officials have voiced concern about the impact, on its way to Cook County and Indiana.
The eastbound crossings also will see an increase in trains, according to the CN plan.
The current rate of six trains a day would increase to 28. That would mean a train every hour and 51 minutes instead of the current rate of one every four hours, according to the county calculations.
One stretch of the EJ&E not likely to be affected is the River Line, which cuts off from the main line and runs south from Plainfield to an industrial area outside of Morris. About two trains a day run on that line, and, “There’s no anticipation that that’s going to change,” Haller said.
Although the River Line has the lightest train traffic, it generates the largest number of complaints from homeowners disturbed by horns blowing, Haller said.