SR0581 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0581 LRB095 19065 RLC 48163 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Canadian National Railroad is seeking authorization from the United States Surface Transportation Board to purchase the principal rail lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company; and

WHEREAS, The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company operates in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana over 198 miles of track consisting primarily of an arc around Chicago extending from Waukegan, Illinois southward to Joliet, then in an easterly direction to Gary, Indiana; and

WHEREAS, The proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company by the Canadian National Railroad does not promote the public interest because it will endanger public safety and increase both rail traffic and motor vehicle traffic congestion; and

WHEREAS, If this acquisition is approved, there will be a considerable increase in the number of trains that will be traveling on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company line due to the shifting of a significant amount of train traffic that currently moves over CN rail lines in the City of Chicago to sections of the EJ & E rail lines west and south of the City of Chicago, including a segment that runs through the counties of Will, DuPage, Grundy, Kane and Cook and the likelihood that the Canadian National Railroad will grant trackage rights to other railroads resulting in additional train traffic; and

WHEREAS, These counties are experiencing exceptional population growth, including Will County that is one of the fastest-growing counties in terms of population growth in the nation; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Commerce Commission, there are 133 public highway-rail, grade crossings on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company line with only 104 being equipped with automatic flashing light signals and gates for safety; and

WHEREAS, The EJ & E currently has 7 public pedestrian-rail grade crossings that are not equipped with automatic safety devices; and

WHEREAS, The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company line crosses many of the region's major roadways and countless thousands of vehicles, including school buses, traverse these roadways on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS, On top of these existing concerns, some communities will experience freight train traffic every 35 minutes, which will cause significant increases in congestion and safety concerns; and

WHEREAS, Due to the amount of motor vehicle traffic in the suburban area that would be served by this railroad expansion, railroad crossings would become more hazardous; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago metropolitan region is usually rated among the worst locations in the nation when it comes to motor vehicle traffic congestion; and

WHEREAS, These communities have engaged in future public transportation upgrades that would address traffic congestion and environmental concerns; specifically the STAR Line, a commuter rail corridor providing rail passenger service around the outer circumference of the greater Chicago metropolitan region, will need to utilize a portion of the EJ & E right-of-way; and

WHEREAS, The proposed acquisition could threaten implementation of the STAR Line; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Surface Transportation Board to not approve the sale of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company to the Canadian National Railroad; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be forwarded to the members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.