Report: Some crossings more dangerous under CN rail plan

The summary alone of a draft report by federal regulators on the Canadian National Railway's proposal to buy the EJ&E railroad is 54 pages of transportation wonkery.

But it didn't take long for politicians opposing the deal to give their opinion - they hate it.

The environmental impact statement released Friday by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board is preliminary. Officials point out numerous flaws in the planned purchase but also note it will ease freight train congestion in the region, and they offer some suggestions to alleviate problems.

CN plans to move freight from a number of its Chicago-area tracks onto the EJ&E which runs in an arc roughly from Waukegan to Gary, Ind. The proposal would relieve train traffic in the urban center, CN officials say, but their concept has drawn fierce protests from towns along the EJ&E line, such as Barrington and West Chicago that would experience substantial increases in freights. Not surprisingly municipalities that will benefit by less trains support the acquisition.

Already U.S. Reps. Judy Biggert, Melissa Bean, Peter Roskam and Don Manzullo decried the study by the STB, which has ultimate authority over CN's purchase request.

Biggert, a Hinsdale Republican, called it "wholly inadequate," while Bean, a Barrington Democrat, said, "I think it reflects their track record of prioritizing the railroad industry's concerns over the rights of citizens."

But Peter Karafotas, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat who endorses the merger, said the document "gives a road map of how this could be done in an environmentally sound way."

Jim LaBelle, a vice president of the civic organization Chicago Metropolis 2020, which supports the merger, said the board didn't "whitewash" any issues.

"They pointed out the pluses and minuses," he said.

CN leaders took heart from the draft, noting it conformed with the railway's view that environmental proceedings raised by the proposed merger weren't unusual and could be mitigated.

STB staff concluded that the Canadian company's plan would not affect existing Amtrak or Metra service. However, researchers noted the changes could "introduce potential operational complexities" as regards Metra's proposed STAR line, a future commuter rail service linking west, north and south suburbs.

Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, contended that "the STAR line is in jeopardy, and CN so far has not been able to make those concerns go away."

Metra officials deferred comment on the impact statement.

Regulators also determined that the number of trains rumbling along the EJ&E tracks are not likely to exceed projections by CN, a possibility opponents have stressed.

One concern by towns objecting to the merger is that it would create safety problems at grade crossings and delay emergency vehicles. The draft report notes that at-grade crossing accidents would increase from four and a half a year to six along the EJ&E but drop from 6.26 annually to 3.79 on CN lines. Overall, accidents would decrease by 8 percent, officials projected.

Regulators also noted that 15 at-grade crossings would be substantially affected by more trains including sites in Lake Zurich, Barrington, Aurora, Plainfield and Joliet. The report suggests remedies such as grade separations, and it urges communities, CN and the state to work together to secure funding.

Other ways of minimizing impacts, the report says, would be with train curfews during rush hour, increases in train speeds and establishing a traffic impact fund that CN would pay for.

The report multiplied the number of vehicles driving on certain crossings by the time motorists would wait for trains. Estimates per day ranged from 50 minutes to 149 hours, counting all crossings. Fuel use by cars idling while freights rumble by could equal 84,000 gallons a year by 2015, the study predicted.

The STB singled out 11 fire and police departments that could face significant train delays at crossings including first-responders in Lake Zurich, Barrington, Bartlett and Mundelein. Staff suggestions for dealing with that ranged from relocating stations to offering better notice to police and fire about approaching trains.

Barrington Village President Karen Darch said officials were still reading the statement but took heart from one STB member's comments that even the most far-reaching mitigation efforts might not be enough to offset the detriments.

West Chicago Mayor Michael Kwasman said, "I don't think it's balanced as far as the environmental issues are concerned and they've totally ignored West Chicago and the village of Wayne being able to provide ambulance and fire services."

In contrast, Des Plaines Alderman Marty Moylan said the merger will help alleviate traffic caused by trains in the city, which has dozens of grade crossings.

"The trains should move out west. It's better for commerce," Moylan said

The final environmental impact statement should be ready between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31 and a decision is expected shortly after.

Daily Herald staff writers Rebecca Boykin and Jake Griffin contributed to this report.

Speak your mind

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board Friday issued a draft environmental impact statement on the Canadian National Railway's plan to buy the EJ&E railroad. The agency also announced it will issue a final impact statement between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31. The final decision on the purchase will come "as soon as possible" after the final impact statement is released. In the meantime, numerous public hearings by the STB will take place.

• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. open house and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. public meeting, Aug. 26. the Crowne Plaza, 510 E. Route 83, Mundelein.

• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. open house and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. public meeting, Aug. 27, Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St, Barrington.

• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. open house and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. public meeting, Aug. 28, Bartlett High School, 701 Schick Road, Bartlett.

• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. open house and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. public meeting, West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora

• A joint congressional hearing on the issue is planned for Aug. 5. Details to follow.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.stbfinancedocket35087.com/html/deis-report.html">CN-EJ&E draft Environmental Impact Statement </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>