(The following story by Erik Potter appeared on the Post-Tribune website on April 16, 2009.)
GARY, Ind. — Documents submitted by the Canadian National Railway Co. show that the railroad caused seven road blockages in Lake County in February and March, with one more than two hours long in Gary.
Canadian National Railway Co. submitted its first report to the federal Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday, a requirement of the agency’s decision to approve CN’s purchase of the Gary-based Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co.
Along the entire length of the railroad, which has incorporated only two additional trains since CN’s purchase, 50 blockages were reported, the longest lasting for two hours and 50 minutes in Park Forest, Ill.
In Indiana, the seven delays ranged from 13 minutes at 9th Avenue to two hours and 17 minutes at Center Road, both in Gary.
“We’re not satisfied with the number of blockings that have occurred,” said CN Spokesman Patrick Waldron, stressing that the company is undergoing system-wide improvements to its tracks and switches to help current train traffic move better and allow additional train traffic to be added to the line.
CN has a three-year plan in which it will build up traffic on the EJ&E line to roughly three times what it is now in Indiana. The four local communities opposed CN’s purchase of the line because of the promised increase in traffic, but ultimately signed on to agreements with the railroad in which CN promised to help them deal with some of the adverse effects of the added trains.
CN inked its deal with Gary, the last of the four affected Indiana communities to sign, on Monday.