Rail line causes enless headaches

In response to the Jan. 15 article "CN Railroad no 'problem child, CEO insists", I have to say that Canadian National Railroad is not only the child of a problem, it's the cause of a massive headache.

Canadian National Railroad's CEO Claude Mongeau told the Daily Herald that since CN bought the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad in 2008 and has been allowed to have its trains go through Lake County, it has been "a responsible party," but sir, I have to disagree with that.

Anyone who lives in Lake County and has to cross any of the railroad tracks to get to work, do errands, drive kids to games, etc. knows that there is always a CN train going by and causing huge traffic jams.

The article mentions how last year "there were 1,620 blocked railway crossings lasting 10 minutes or more on the EJ&E." That is a lot of crossings and all of us living here definitely feel it.

And now Mongeau is disappointed that the Surface Transportation Board will be watching them for additional freight traffic in the area until January 2017.

Then on January 16, the Daily Herald did a commentary called "The burden of change", but pretty much concentrated on the problems the village of Barrington has with CN trains. Yes, I know Barrington has the same train problems I just spoke of, but the Herald should also comment on the county problem of CN. Since both of these tracks, EJ&E and Wisconsin Central, cut right across Lake County in all directions, it effects a lot of villages.

Of course, the best solution would be to have overpasses throughout the county, but I don't really see that happening either, so in the meantime I'll see you as we're waiting in line.

Shawn Killackey

Mundelein