CN trains already slowing traffic

SPRINGFIELD-Canadian National Railway reported Tuesday that traffic in March was stopped in long durations 50 times at the crosswise of the former EJ&E lines.

The former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. acquisition by CN was completed Jan. 31, but trains did not actually begin running on the tracks until March 11. The report concluded that traffic was stopped because of the added trains 50 times for more than 10 minutes.

CN said most blockages were between midnight and 5 a.m. when traffic congestion was at a minimum. Local communities affected by the blockages included Aurora, Wayne, West Chicago, Bartlett, Barrington Hills, Naperville, Plainfield, and Park Forest. A few of the blockages, which lasted more than an hour, were during peak commuter times.

The trains are only in their first phase of a three-year transition on the tracks. More trains will be added as the line begins to fully use the new tracks running through the suburbs.

Local and state officials from the affected suburbs were concerned that the trains will interfere with emergency services even before they began running on the lines.

House Republican leader Tom Cross, of Oswego said previously "Plainfield will be dramatically affected and could see 42 trains per day," he said. "With that many trains and 16 crossings holding up emergency vehicles, school buses and working families, our community could literally come to a standstill. This is a recipe for disaster."

CN has been working closely with various emergency response agencies toward mediation," said Patrick Waldron, CN spokesman.

CN also has noted that while some of the 33 communities affected by the acquisition are seeing increased rail traffic, the transition is decreasing traffic in other towns.

The longest delay was March 3 in Gary, Indiana, when an empty coal train blocked an intersection for two hours and 17 minutes, beginning shortly before 5:30 p.m., according to the report. The report said the delay was for a "mandatory air brake test."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="/pdf/cnreport.pdf">The complete report</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>