Suburban officials trek to Springfield to protest CN blockages
SPRINGFIELD - Suburban officials and residents came to the Capitol Wednesday to protest Canadian National Railway running trains on EJ&E tracks throughout the suburbs for the past two months.
In March, CN reported 50 blockages of 10 minutes or more to traffic crossings in the suburbs. An additional 14 were reported for April.
State Sen. Linda Holmes, an Aurora Democrat, has sponsored a resolution in the Senate asking President Obama to appoint a third member to the United States Surface Transportation Board. "He knows us personally and he should take this seriously," said Holmes.
A lobbying group called TRAC, or The Regional Answer to Canadian National, is upset by what it believes are added public safety concerns and traffic congestion from the trains.
It wants a new member appointed who is a community-minded person to fill the vacancy. The current two-member board is holding up court decisions because the two are split on the issue of whether CN should have to pay money previously agreed upon to the communities, said Kim Morreale, a spokeswoman for TRAC.
"There are legal proceedings that rely on the STB's ability to make further rulings related to the CN acquisition which is why it is vital that President Obama make a swift decision on the vacant board seat," said House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego.
CN officials said most blockages were between midnight and 5 a.m. when traffic congestion was at a minimum.
"By enabling CN to shift many of its trains from downtown Chicago to the less densely populated area surrounding the EJ&E line, this transaction will result in twice as many Chicago area communities seeing decreased freight train traffic as will see increased traffic," said Patrick Waldron, CN spokesman.
State Rep. Darlene Senger, a Naperville Republican, has a similar resolution in the Illinois House to be sent to Congress.
"There is bipartisan support in Illinois in asking the he act swiftly to protect the interests of residents throughout the state."