For Immediate Release
Contact:  Jason Gerwig
630/407-6022
April 8, 2008

County Opposes EJ&E Acquisition by Canadian National

WHEATON, IL― The DuPage County Board, led by Board Members Pam Rion (District 6), JR McBride (District 4) and James Healy (District 5), passed a resolution on Tuesday formally declaring the county’s opposition to the acquisition of the EJ&E railroad by Canadian National.

The proposed acquisition by Canadian National (CN) would transfer and reassign railroad freight traffic that currently runs over CN railroad lines in the City of Chicago to segments of the EJ&E railroad lines north, south, west and east of Chicago, including heavily populated areas in the western portions of DuPage County.

“This acquisition will have a negative impact on our communities and will increase traffic delays, as well as affect our quality of life,” said Pam Rion, Chairwoman of the County’s Transportation Committee.  “Reassigning railroad freight traffic at twenty-two crossings in DuPage County, which is presently used by only four-to-fifteen trains per day, will increase up to forty-two trains per day.  That is going to have a profound impact on our residents.”

James Healy, who serves as Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Committee, says this merger would compromise safety, increase the likelihood of railroad-vehicle accidents, increase the movement of hazardous materials through densely population areas and adversely affect the air quality in the county.

“Naperville and Aurora, both in my district, would be hard hit by this potential acquisition,” said Healy.  “For example, the Ogden Avenue crossing serves 50,000 cars a day.  Shutting down that crossing because of increased freight train traffic will create horrible back-ups and inconveniences.”

The Board also approved $10,000 that will be available to hire a lobbyist to represent a regional coalition of municipalities and counties opposed to the sale of the EJ&E.

“We have great concerns about this acquisition and this is a good investment for the County to make,” said McBride, Chairman of the County’s Public Transit Committee. 

The resolution will now be sent to the Service Transportation Board (STB), who is the federal agency reviewing Canadian National’s application.

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