CN-EJ&E update: Outer-ring Chicago suburbs got fewer trains, not more

This fails to mention that the trains are LONGER now. Also, until CN takes down their "increased train traffic" signs at the railroad crossings all bets are off that the "fewer" trains will continue

check out matteson,il, they run trains constantly at main street, back and forth east and west, dont know where they are getting the info from

I saw an overview (google earth) image of Kirk yard on the "J". it looks like it's all the way in Gary Indiana. hawthorne yard is in Cicero right by one of BNSFs main intermodal yards. C.N. trains would take up a lot of time going through chicago on its ex WC mainline just to get there. Doesn't it these fuckers THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME to get to Kirk yard??

Gus Benson wrote:

I saw an overview (google earth) image of Kirk yard on the "J". it looks like it's all the way in Gary Indiana. hawthorne yard is in Cicero right by one of BNSFs main intermodal yards. C.N. trains would take up a lot of time going through chicago on its ex WC mainline just to get there. Doesn't it [take] these f****** THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME to get to Kirk yard??

If they were still going through the Chicago Terminal District (downtown Chicago) the answer to your question would be yes. But the whole idea of buying the EJ&E was to avoid the traffic congestion (train traffic that is) in Chicago by using the EJ&E as a bypass. The first train that CN shifted onto the EJ&E made the trip around Chicago (from the WC line to the IC line) in 8 hours. That may seem like a long time until you consider that same train would take 24-48 hours to make that same trip if it was going through the Chicago Terminal District.
You also might note that the first train made that 8 hour trip before any of CN's planned improvements (to speed up the trains) to the EJ&E were started.

That's a big cut in time. I'm also worried about the congestion on the J in the future. They mey be saying 20 trains right now, but were in a recession. Once things shape up, there could and probably will be 25or more trainstaking this bypass route.

ALSO Does anyone know if the C.N. is selling the EJ&E from leithton (mundelein) to Waukegan???

CN bought the entire EJ&E line; I believe, however, the part of the line from Waukegan to perhaps someplace East of Mundelein won't many extra trains; CN is increasing trains coming from and going to Wisconsin.

I really hope they sell the segment from Mundelein to Waukegan. I also Hope Metra is able to buy the line from Mundelein to Franklin Park.

Gus- I don't think Metra owns any lines; they lease lines from the freight railroad owners for the lines they need to run their trains.

Are you hoping CN sells the segment from mundelein to Waukegan?

Gus Benson wrote:

That's a big cut in time. I'm also worried about the congestion on the J in the future. They mey be saying 20 trains right now, but were in a recession. Once things shape up, there could and probably will be 25or more trainstaking this bypass route.
ALSO Does anyone know if the C.N. is selling the EJ&E from leithton (mundelein) to Waukegan???

thats what I heard

taxpayer wrote:

Gus- I don't think Metra owns any lines; they lease lines from the freight railroad owners for the lines they need to run their trains.
Are you hoping CN sells the segment from mundelein to Waukegan?

Taxpayer,

Actually, METRA does own some of the lines that they run trains on. The ones that they own are: The Milwaukee District North line (I believe that north of the EJ&E this line uses trackage rights on Wisconsin Southern track), The Milwaukee District West line , The Rock Island line, and the METRA Electric line.

Three of these lines METRA bought when the freight railroads that owned them went bankrupt; the Milwaukee District North and West lines from Milwaukee Road (CMStP&P), and the Rock Island Line from the Rock Island railroad (CRI&P). All these lines have freight railroads which run trains over them using trackage rights, i.e. IAIS over the Rock Island line, CP RR over the Milwaukee lines.

The METRA Electric line does not share its tracks with any freight railroad because it was part of the Illinois Central Railroad's 6+ track line that came into Chicago from the south. Illinois Central (now part of CN) sold the tracks that were used for urban passenger service to METRA, but they kept at least two mainline tracks right next to the METRA Electric line tracks which they still use.

I had heard the freight railroads actually like Metra to own the tracks. Metra is tax exempt, no property taxes are paid on Metra owned tracks. If the freight railroad owned the track, they would have to pay tax.

NAR is quite correct; Metra does own some of the tracks it operates on. Metra does allow the freight railroads to operate their trains on Metra tracks, but they pay Metra for the use of the tracks. Also, because Metra is the host railroad, they decide when the freight trains can run and when they can't.

It'd be nice to see a shortline (maybe the WSOR) to run that line. plus with the line to franklin park, they get a direct route to the IHB twoards Clearing.

lake front line in Indiana is for sale, riverline in IL is for sale and waukegon to leighthon is for sale

REALLY?

It is just a matter of time and the former EJE will be for sale. We will not give up the fight and sooner or later some judge will see our side of it. We use tax dollars for our legal bills, we can come back year after year. CN pays their legal bills out of bottom line profit. CN will eventually see that it would cost them less to put in the crossing upgrades then to keep fighting in court.

Joe wrote:

It is just a matter of time and the former EJE will be for sale. We will not give up the fight and sooner or later some judge will see our side of it. We use tax dollars for our legal bills, we can come back year after year. CN pays their legal bills out of bottom line profit. CN will eventually see that it would cost them less to put in the crossing upgrades then to keep fighting in court.

Um, no. CN has lawyers on their payroll whose job it is to contest lawsuits of all kinds. They are on the payroll anyway, no extra cost here for them, but y'all feel free to keep throwing away those tax dollars on a lost cause. And you may want to check out TRAC's website - they want a whole lot more than what you suggest.

Joe wrote:

It is just a matter of time and the former EJE will be for sale. We will not give up the fight and sooner or later some judge will see our side of it. We use tax dollars for our legal bills, we can come back year after year. CN pays their legal bills out of bottom line profit. CN will eventually see that it would cost them less to put in the crossing upgrades then to keep fighting in court.

Joe,

So wasting taxpayer money to enrich lawyers seems good to you? Of course if you want use other people's money (taxpayers) to play Don Quixote who are we to stop you?

When a community chooses to save money by building a road across a railroad at-grade instead of building a grade-separated crossing, they also choose to wait for a train to go by from time to time. The communities along the EJ&E could have built grade-separated crossings years ago, but they choose not to. They are now living with the consequences of their prior decisions.

Gramps;

When I moved to my current home 13 years ago there was one train at 6:30 AM and another at 10:30 at night. How many at grade crossings do you think should have been built to handle two trains per day? Additionally, those trains were about half as long as they are now, and these longer trains create a lot more noise.