Group seeks to overturn CN railroad deal

A recent request by Canadian National Railway to federal officials has objectors to the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad deal purchase crying foul.

Barrington Village President Karen Darch, who leads a group that has fought the rail line purchase, claims CN was trying to sneak in a request to increase trackage rights earlier this month.

Darch wants the Surface Transportation Board, the federal panel that approved CN's purchase of the EJ&E line last year, to force CN to better explain its actions. She said CN quietly made the request, and that it was suspicious for CN to do so after the transaction was approved. CN requested 17 trackage right exemptions with the STB.

"It's unclear what all this means," Darch said.

Trackage rights give railroad companies access to sections of tracks they don't own. Darch and her group, The Regional Answer to Canadian National, or TRAC, claim CN wants to increase rail traffic by requesting additional access.

CN spokesman Patrick Waldron denies that. He called the action routine.

"It won't result with any new traffic on the EJ&E. The trackage rights do not entail different rerouting of additional trains" beyond what CN spelled out before the acquisition, Waldron said.

TRAC also wants an additional environmental study done to supplement the one conducted last year. TRAC officials felt the initial study didn't encompass their full concerns.

CN purchased the EJ&E so it could more efficiently transport goods. But towns along the line, which runs in an arc around the Chicago area, opposed it because of additional freight traffic through their communities.