(The following story by Bob Okon appeared on The Herald News website on August 27.)
JOLIET, Ill. Canadian National Railway on Monday acknowledged that its agreement with the city of Joliet is the first such pact made with the communities that will see more train traffic from the railroad's expansion.
The railroad, which wants to take over the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway line, previously declined to comment on the Joliet agreement. The pact, approved by Joliet officials a week ago, outlines Canadian National's commitments to help the city manage the increase in train traffic and could help CN make its case to federal railroad regulators.
On Monday, Canadian National put out a statement announcing the agreement, hoping it will spur more communities to make such deals with the railroad.
"We believe this will be the first of many agreements between CN and the communities along the EJ&E line that are impacted by this transaction," Gordon Trafton, CN senior vice president for the southern region, said in the announcement.
Some municipalities have refused to talk with CN, hoping instead to win a case urging regulators to nix the plan. But CN officials say they are talking with a number of communities along the EJ&E line.
The CN plan faces intense opposition in suburbs, including Plainfield, New Lenox and others in Will County and elsewhere, because of expected increase in train traffic.
The numbers of trains in Joliet also will rise to about three times the numbers seen now at rail crossings.
But Joliet officials said federal regulators have a track record of approving nearly all railroad acquisitions, so the city opted to make a deal with CN.
Among other things, CN promises to help establish quiet zones at Joliet railroad crossings and provide emergency dispatchers with technology that will enhance their ability to monitor trains running through town.
CN in turn hopes to show federal regulators that it is trying to work out problems facing communities affected by the plan.
"We have consistently been willing to work with and address the concerns of communities across the region," Trafton said in the statement. "We believe this agreement with Joliet is evidence that these concerns can be mitigated."
The Joliet agreement was announced Monday after it was signed and became official, CN spokesman Jim Kvedaras said.
He said the company is "cautiously optimistic" that the Joliet agreement can be "a starting point" in getting agreements with other communities.
Kvedaras said the value of the agreement to the railroad is to demonstrate to the federal Surface Transportation Board, which is reviewing the EJ&E deal, that CN will work with communities to resolve problems that come with more train traffic.
"The Surface Transportation Board has encouraged us to meet and continue communication on these issues," Kvedaras said. "They want to see cooperation and a spirit of moving forward. We believe we demonstrated this with Joliet."