FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Jason Gerwig
630/407-6022
March 10, 2009

COUNTY CONTINUES COMMITMENT TO TRAC

WHEATON - The DuPage County Board approved funding on Tuesday which will continue the County’s commitment to TRAC (The Real Answer to the Canadian National), a consortium of local governments who have opposed the sale of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) to the Canadian National (CN). 

DuPage County Public Transit Committee Chairman JR McBride says that the daily train traffic on the EJ & E lines will increase by three-to-four times in towns in the western part of the County - Naperville, Aurora, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wayne and Bartlett.  The $7500 approved on Tuesday is for the additional legal proceedings that have been filed subsequent to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) decision on December 24, 2008 to approve the purchase of the EJ&E by CN.

“Just this week, the Canadian National has informed communities that they will begin to see an increase of freight train traffic on the EJ& E lines,” said McBride.  “Motorist should be extra vigilant and careful as train traffic increase.  Residents should pay close attention to signals and gate closings.”

In April of 2008, the County Board approved the expenditure of $10,000 to join TRAC, which is opposed to the acquisition of the EJ&E by CN for various safety, environmental, emergency services, delay time, and quality of life issues.  The funding was used to secure lobbyist and consulting services.

In January, TRAC, on behalf of DuPage County and others, filed a motion with the US Court of Appeals to stay the decision by the STB approving the acquisition.  The stay was denied.  TRAC then filed a petition for review, asking the court to consider requiring the STB to impose additional mitigation and /or remanding the finding back to the STB for further review.  A ruling on this stay is not expected until late summer at the earliest.