(The following story by Janet Lundquist appeared on the Suburban Chicago News website on July 18.)
PLAINFIELD, Ill. — Village officials have created what they believe is another tool to fight the potential increase in freight trains rumbling through town should the Canadian National Railway buy the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway.
Village staff members had engineers study cost estimates for building overpasses or underpasses at six of the busiest crossings along the EJ&E in town.
Including land acquisition, engineering and construction, it could cost upward of $300 million 10 years from now to build roads over or under the railroad tracks on 119th Street, 127th Street, 135th Street, 143rd Street, Illinois 126 and Renwick Road.
“We think these crossings, plus the important ones on the river line, need to be addressed by Canadian National … and ultimately the federal government,” said Village Administrator Alex Harris.
As it is, traffic backs up daily at the village’s 16 street-level crossings along the EJ&E tracks. If the sale goes through, there could be a train chugging through Plainfield every 20 minutes.
Village officials plan to submit the study during a comment period once the Surface Transportation Board releases its environmental impact study of the Canadian National purchase. The board is expected to release its study late this year.
“We believe this document will be important, to show Canadian National the impact,” said Plainfield Public Works Director Allen Persons.
If the sale is approved, Canadian National plans to reroute freight train traffic around congested Chicago tracks on the EJ&E line, which could triple the number of trains at some crossings each day.
Officials would like the board to require CN to fund fixes that would route traffic over or under railways, alleviating concern about emergency vehicle access and potential traffic jams. The company is offering to pay 10 percent of needed grade crossing work.
Canadian National officials have said instead of blaming their company for potential traffic gridlock, local officials should focus on solving their transportation problems.
Plainfield Village Board members have already joined The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC) and donated $10,000 to the cause. The board has also supported a statement of opposition to the possible Canadian National purchase of the EJ&E.