Shooting For STAR

Sure CN is ready to work with the villages. That is because they bit the big one when they purchased the J. Now that the imported junk from China has seriously dropped the traffic just isn't there. World economic conditions have left CN getting just what they deserve for strong arming the EJE deal.
Just watch as they hand the J over to the Starline. Ha, pause, Ha Ha Ha and on...

First, CN's decision to acquire the EJ&E from United States Steel was a sound business decision when it was made in 2007 and it continues to be a sound business decision today and for the future. The downturn in freight traffic that all carriers are currently experiencing is not particularly relevant to CN's long term business plans. Under no cercumstances will CN relinquish ownership of the EJ&E to Metra or anyone else.

Second, both EJ&E and CN have always been willing to negotiate in good faith with Metra in regards to the STAR Line proposal. What they haven't been willing to do is to either directly or indirectly subsidize its construction costs or operating costs.

Third, Metra's STAR Line proposal is little more than an unfunded dream that has very little likelihood of ever being constructed. Metra is struggling financially to support the operations of its existing commuter system. They don't have enough locomotives and passenger cars to meet the demand for service that they have right now.

Forth, the STAR Line proposal as it currently exists is seriously flawed; it stops seven miles short of downtown Joliet, making it useless to anyone many of its potential riders.

Metra should be focusing in improving the capacity and reliability of their existing system, not dreaming about what might never, ever happen.

Gramps,
I appreciate your love for CN, but, I tell you the traffic is flat at best.'No freight' will be the down fall of the CN EJE deal in the end. It (freight) is not comming back either. CN made a huge blunder, but of course the ego won't allow anyone to admit it.
I think the money will come thru the Stimulus (which I totally object to btw) Package and the towns will seize the day and use up the Stimulus on commuter solutions.
In the end CN will be glad to let the J go to get their money back or the government will just take it back.(This admin. does not believe in contracts anyway)!

Many villages are turning their attention back to the Starline, especially with the rise in commuting. So watch the Starline move to the front burner.

Sorry, John, but you are all wet on this one. CN is, by far, the best run railroad in all of North America and Gramp's assessment of their EJ&E acquisition is absolutely correct.

Despite the fact that it is the best run railroad, if the freight need is not there, it will fall onto hard times and the stimulus money that could be used for other purposes will feed a cash cow. The rail service run in europe is government owned and financed and the finest one around, but then again, they have the freight and the commuters and the tourists to keep things moving.

Charlie,
I understand that CN operates pretty well. My point is import traffic has taken serious declines. CN didn't account for the downturn the US and the World economies have experienced. They missed the move.
The change started a couple of years back when the Chinese were sending toxic toys and toothpaste into the country. That's when the big importers like Walmart and Toys are Us to name two, said whoa, stop the bus. You Chinese are poisoning our customers, and we are going to stop buying. And they did stop buying to the extent they were. Traffic started stopping back then and the current recession has built on that.
Containers are piling up at all the ports. They should use them to build a border wall along Mexico.
Right now there are about 4-6 trains per day on the J. A far cry from the proposed freight flow.(Believe me if the freight were there it WOULD be running down these tracks). Just about the same as the J was running in it's last days. The CN trains are just louder than the J.
I believe CN will be eager to unload the J just to escape the deal in the end.