Railroad purchase leaves questions
As a resident of Lake Zurich, I am very concerned about the likely impact of the purchase of EJ&E by Canadian National.
Traffic across the three grade-level crossings in the immediate area of our downtown will be adversely affected by an increase in either the number of trains, or their length. Based on some rough calculations, one train could affect all three crossings at the same time.
In addition to traffic concerns, the increased risk of an incident from a derailment is also present. Published data on CN's safety record does not paint a very positive picture. Our village is struggling with a downtown revitalization project and the traffic, noise, etc. from increased freight train traffic would pose additional hurdles. Our efforts to become a Quiet Zone will be "derailed" by this purchase. I would encourage all area residents to request their respective federal, state and local legislators support in a thorough study of the impacts of this purchase to ensure the region does not suffer because of it.
Randall W. Klug
Lake Zurich