Aug 27, 2008 9:52 pm US/Central
Barrington Residents Battle To Stop Train Merger
BARRINGTON, Ill. (CBS) ―
There was a packed public hearing in Barrington Wednesday night to discuss plans by the Canadian National Railway to acquire track that runs through dozens of communities in the Chicago area. Many residents are worried about noise, delays and safety.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports that critics of a plan to increase rail freight traffic through dozens of communities raised their voices in dissent.
"I'm not gonna sit down until you answer the question!"
Outrage was expressed during a public hearing at Barrington High School. At issue is the Canadian National Railway's acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway.
In addition to the existing commuter train traffic in Barrington, about five freight trains go through the area each day. The purchase would add 15 more freight trains to the mix.
"We have school buses cross the tracks, 840 times a day, 840 times," said Linda Reinhard, Barrington resident. "Bus accidents are gonna happen."
Protestors arrived by bus. Close to 1,000 of them filled the gym voicing concerns about congestion and safety.
"If the safety equipment is working properly, if the train is moving at the speed, it's authorized to move at and the driver exhibits a certain amount of control, there's no reason you can't have safe crossings indefinitely," said Jim Kvedaras, Canadian National Railway.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports that demonstrators were marching through Barrington ahead of the meeting Wednesday, right down the suburb's Main Street.
The Original Track Hot Dog Stand in Barrington sits right along the EJ&E Railroad line. If Canadian National goes ahead with its planned purchase, the total trains at the crossing will quadruple, from five to 20 trains a day.
Hot dog stand owner Jesse Lopes fears he'll lose a lot of business if potential customers are stuck waiting at train crossings or know there could be a delay in their drives.
The streets of Barrington are lined with signs against the proposed merger.
"We have fire stations on 14th, and police… God forbid, if anything happens and there's a train there, they can't get through," said Barrington resident Nicholas Bergadon.
"The community is really activated on this issue," said Barrington Village President Karen Darch. "It's huge; it's a life-changer for us."
The EJ&E line includes almost 200 miles of tracks that form an arc from Waukegan to Joliet to northwest Indiana. Thirty-some communities that would be impacted along that route are fighting the plan.
But by shifting freight trains to the outlying areas it would reduce congestion in the crowded Chicago rail corridor.
"There are places that will benefit significantly from this transaction," said Illinois Rep. Elaine Nekritz, chair of the House Rail Committee.
Leaders in Chicago and some of the closer suburbs, including Des Plaines, Riverside and South Holland, are in favor of the sale.
"From a regional perspective, Chicago suffers from freight congestion," Nekritz said. "If we don't do something to alleviate that, those jobs in those industries are going to go elsewhere."
Congressman Dan Lipinski is also on board in favor of the plan. His support is significant because he helps oversee the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the group that will have the final say on the merger.
There will be five more public hearings on this issue. A final decision is not expected until early 2009.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson and Suzanne Le Mignot contributed to this report.
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