| Does anybody know when its actually going to happen? I kept hearing about it over and over again, Then I heard that It was sorta put on hold?? Can someone help me out… I would like to know how much time my favorite local railraod has before CN takes it over. Also, Are they going to completly phase out the J or just own it? Thanks alot guys… Dillon |
|---|
It will happen after the Federal Government is finished making sure we are all out of danger from the big bad Canadian railroad giant, and that no snails, chipmunks or butterflies are in danger of losing their NIMBY Barrington habitats to transportation progress…that’s when it will happen.
Its not only Barrington. Frankfort and New Lenox in the south burbs are having cows over it. Here in new Lenox it comes up at every board meeting how it is going to block roads and create emergency nightmares but the double track Rock Island that gets 50 Metra trains or more and twenty freights or more a day and crosses the same streets isn’t a problem. Go figure.
This is going to be a pretty big issue. CN runs those MONSTER trains and have no problem in blocking streets in communities for extended periods of time.
I got caught last summer for 30 minutes in Valpo as two CN trains swapped crews. Nearly every crossing in town was blocked. Didnt make sense to me and I am a very happy CN shareholder.
ed
CN will eventually phase out the EJ&E just like they did the WC and is doing to the DM&IR now. The WC power is so sparse you would barely know they ever owned the line out of Chicago. I don’t think the merge itself will take place until at least 2009.
Since when does the Rock Island line have 20 freights a day? I thought it was just 1-2 IAIS trains daily. I don’t even think that line had 20 freights a day when RI owned it…
Trust me I live on that line now and we have one CSX local a day and one IAIS each way a day plus the Metras that is it. Maybe 20 trains a day total. CN wants to run an additional 40 a day over the single track line I can see why all the towns are having cows over this one.
Wait a minute here. Metra runs two trains an hour each way from 6 AM until after 8PM so that is 14 hours times four trains which is 56 trains minimum. Rush hour gets even more than that. IAIS and CSx do run one train during daylight hours but apparently you live where you can’t hear them blowing all night when more freight is run. Since the CN trains will be bridge traffic there is no reason for them to stop and block crossings and a second track will only expedite train movement. Crew changes would be out of Woodcrest and the north end not in any of the communities along the way.
By the way, I just checked the Metra schedule and I underestimated the traffic. There 34 trains each way daily for a total of 68 per day. My main point is still valid however and that is how come blocking the very same streets along route 30 in town isn’t a problem but through mostly farm fields further south is?
The problem in Barrington is not the local animals, it is the local economy. US Highway 14, State Highway 59, the J, and the UP Northwest line all intersect at grade within a very small area. Both highways are high density arteries and the UP Northwest is a major commuter route. With the prospect of a huge increase in train traffic along the J, traffic will become a major issue and quite possibly ruin the downtown economy due to congestion.
Some argue that the railroad was there first, but this is not true. Barrington was settled before the railroad built that far out. As far as the J line, it was built 35 years after the village was settled.
The government of Barrington is only doing their job as elected representatives of the village. The grand scheme picture never looks good to those that are being asked to sacrifice the most. And that is exactly the case with Barrington. They are being asked to sacrifice their community for the betterment of Chicagoland.
OK, let’s see what happens once this issue goes through our governmental “system” and see if the good folks in Barrington (and other places) who are fighting this purchase prevail or otherwise. Let the chips fall where they may on this one.
I hope they don’t kill the merger, since it will be good as a whole in my opinion. I think the best case is that Barrington, UP, the state, the feds, the county, and CN (and maybe some other RRs that would benefit from the decreased congestion) come to an arrangement to fly the J across all three. Or some other separation plan. Hopefully, those chips fall into some dip, so we can all have a party.
Ndprr were I live is 50 ft from the tracks and my picture window faces the tracks. I see what the CSX uses for power everyday on the local along with the IAIS here in Seneca. Todays power was a Conrail patched Sd40-2 with Flexicoils followed by a C-40-8W and a GP40-2 in the latest scheme. On the tail was a GP-15T also in the YN3 scheme. Were Metra runs most of the tracks are grade separated already except by the stations and also were the EJ&E runs is a totally differnet section of the town and is NOT grade separtated.
There is only 4 freights a day through here 1 each way from the CSX and the IAIS I see each one and hear each one the flat wheels wake my wife up still. LOL Barrington beef is the fact that CN is going to try and cram 40+ trains a day on a line that can barely handle 20 a day plus make then double the length they are now.
They don’t seem to have a problem with the trains during the morning and afternoon commuter runs. Many thousands of yuppies pile on and off those trains each weekday.
As far as the number of yuppies that ride Metra in and out of Barrington, I can’t say, but all of those trains run on the UP Northwest line which does not intersect US14 and intersects IL59 far enough away from US14 for the traffic build-up not to be that much of an issue. The Metra trains are short and quick.
As to whether they don’t have a problem with them? I can’t say. Sure you don’t hear about it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. What can be said, though, is that it is easier to fight something before it is approved than after it has been put in place and been operating for decades. If the politicians and activists are smart, they will know exactly where their breaking point is and how much they are willing to give in to get there.
With regards to the people complaining about the birds, bees, and apple trees, I’ll be in line waiting my turn to take a couple whacks with a whiffle bat. The air pollution increase will be a drop in the ocean compared to the daily spewing from street traffic.
Here is a story from the Trib this morning.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-trains_13feb13,1,1088843.story
Canadian National Railway officials on Tuesday acknowledged there are “three or four” points on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern rail line that runs through Chicago’s outlying suburbs where constructing overpasses or underpasses would be warranted, and that the railroad would pay its “fair share” to build them if its plan to buy the EJ&E is approved.
But officials would not specify crossings or indicate exactly how much the CN would be willing to pay to construct grade separations, which they said could cost as much as $100 million each.
Yes, seemingly very true, and in my opinion that’s due to the locals there who commute to Chicago wanting their convenient Metra trains when THEY want them and not wanting any trains when THEY don’t want to see or hear them. Given the ME, ME, ME times we live in this is no big shock to me. However, I have to wonder what the reactions of these citizens would be if they had to
Barrington may have been incorporated before the J came thrugh; but you can take it to the bank that it was built around what little town and farm-related commerce existed.
Part of the reason for traffic congestion in Barrington is major 4 & 6-lane roads, Lake-Cook and IL59, pinch down to 2 lanes with parking to retain the charm and conceit of Barrington. Both cross the UPNW between the station and the J crossing. Barrington has resisted all attempts to widen the streets or eliminate on-street parking that would minimize congestion and delay for the existing traffic and increased train volume on the J.
Before the STAR Line was proposed for the J south of Barrington, the proposal for a circumferential route from Waukegan to Chicago Heights was opposed by Barrington because of the increased street traffic delay and congestion. At least they’re consistent.
I’m not sure if there ever was a highway bypass plan. If so, it was probably opposed by both the home owners facing dislocation and downtown businesses fearing the loss of traffic.
US14 crosses the J, but not the UPNW. US14 got a bit of a downtown bypass ages ago; but that is almost solid commercial and not-so-charming suburban strip development, even with the pretentious colonial trim.
Most highway crossings of the J are grade-separated. Ironically, it’s the secondary arterial and collector grade crossings that communities have pushed through on the cheap for new development and ensuing road traffic that are the problem.
Now senator Durbin is opposing the deal due to its possible effects on Metra and Amtrak. He is worried CN will completely leave the St. Charles airline and leave all maitenence up to Amtrak. This would possibly effect the Saluki, Illini and City of New Orleans trains. He is also concerned that CN will not allow the proposed Metra STAR line, which would run on a portion on the EJ&E to go through. Also he mentioned that CN has been unwilling to tell anyone what exactly they plan on doing with the line and that they haven’t done anything to address the concerns of the towns along the line. In addition, Plainfield is now opposing the deal mainly because of the Metra STAR Line project being in danger due to the increased freight traffic.
Afraid it may miss out of any forthcoming goodies, Naperville has now jumped in, too. In its recent newsletter it ran its concerns about the CN purchase – and the morons illustrated the story with a photo of BNSF punkins. Although the EJE runs along only a short portion of the town’s western border. Very short.