Suburban rally seeks to derail train plan

Arguments against Canadian National Railway's proposed acquisition of a little-used freight line took a sharp turn Sunday at a Barrington rally from concerns over the quality of life to the grim economic ...

[Ken in Aurora]

A bunch of NIMBYs.

I live 1/2 mile from a BNSF line that hosts 40 to 50 trains per day, and they cause no problems at all.

And Mayor Weisner, you have lost my vote in the upcoming election over this.

[blue state]

what else are suburbanites good for? not activism, but narcissism.

[Robert A Brown Jr]

When you move near a railroad or airport it is expected that either will have to grow with the times. If you don't like it,... M O V E

[Carl G]

Wow three comments in a row i agree with!

Two things:

If you compare shopping along the northwest highway suburbs (arlington heights, palatine, des plaines) no one really shops or spends time in downtown Barrington because the only thing they have their are McMansions. So lets not act like the trains are going to destroy some sort of shopping mecca. All three of those mentioned suburbs, by the way, have plenty of train traffic.

They're crazy if they think the real reason the development went away is the increased trains. It sounds like the developer wanted an excuse other than the development was overly optimistic.

[The Doc]

Let's figure this one out. The railroad was there before the people moved in. Not all railroads are abandoned. In fact, with the high price of fuel, we will need railroads more.
So people protest when the tracks will be used? After they move in?
That's like going out into a field of cows, stepping in cow #@&! and then saying it was the cow's fault that you were walking around in the field.
Dumb.

[Hans Reisner]

This seems like a case of counting your chickens before they hatched.

Any project which doesn't go forward now has a convenient boogeyman of the railroad and the towns can them claim how much revenue they didn't have in the first place was lost as a result of an event which did not even happen yet.

Sounds a bit sensationalistic to me.

Turnign the EJ&E into a reasonable bypass of Chicago's 150 year old railroad mess is crucial to keeping Chicago as one of the major transportation hubs of the US and the world.

I live in Joliet about 2 miles from the EJ&E; I'm for it because I know the benefits it will bring the *entire* Chicago region in spite of localized traffic increases.

It will take more trucks off the road and even more directly reduce train delays and pollution that will affect the entire Chicago region.

[Brian]

The communities through the SW corner of Lake County don't have a clue. As the areas around them grow, they cling to their little hamlet lifestyle, making life miserable for thousands around them because they will not allow upgrades to roads, or even bypasses that would make everyone's life much easier. O'Hare, IL 53 extension, and now the CN buyout. From what I have read, the amount of time trains will actually be rolling through any of these towns will increase from about 10 minutes per day to about 45 minutes a day. And this is a problem? What a bunch of selfish people.

[Von Ryans Express]

"People wouldn't come to Barrington to shop anymore," she said. "It's hard enough on a Saturday or Sunday to get into town with traffic the way it is now."

So shop during the week. It's not like the wives in Barrington work. They can go before their afternoon at the club drinking and a roll with the tennis pro.

[JBChitown]

Some of you so very misguided as to actual dates...so let me make this rather clear...Barrington, incorporated in 1865...the EJ&E railline began operations in 1889. Now, who was here first?

CN Rail has been nothing but evasive throughout this proposed acquisition. Many of the people in these forums live in towns that will see a decrease in CN rail traffic as it is shifted from their lines to the EJ&E. HOWEVER, CN Rail has also made no promises outside of 3 years. So all those towns will be right back where they where in 3 years time. In addition, take a really good look at the proposed expansions planned for Prince Rupert Port in Canada (who CN Rail is the only rail carrier for) and you will notice that by 2020 they will be a monster (5 Million TCU's - 20 foot equivilents). Through what line will these goods be transported?

Look, CN wants to position this acquisition as if it's doing Chicago a favor and decreasing rail traffic, when effect it is in this for it's own purposes. The traffic isn't going anywhere for more than 3 years
time by CN's own account.

Why not look for a real answer to a regional problem rather than lining Canadian National Rail's pockets.

[Tic]

What I think is worse is the suburban sprawl where there are not strip mall all over and a traffic light in from of each one. on my route to work there have been several traffic lights added in the past year that easily add 10 minutes to my commute, a train won't be as much of a problem.

has anyone thought of working with CN
to try and not run the trains thought at peak travel times?

[Jim V]

I have lived near the trains that have to go through Chicago along the west line. Becuase of the congestion of trains trying to get through Chicago trains are often at a stand still with their engines running for 6-8 hours before moving. These lines are a huge economic benefit for the city and all of us in the region need to usnderstand that we all need to praticipate and not get all NIMBY. I don't feel sorry for Barrington at all. Build a bridge.

[Red Heart]

JBChitown wrote:

Some of you so very misguided as to actual dates...so let me make this rather clear...Barrington, incorporated in 1865...the EJ&E railline began operations in 1889. Now, who was here first?
CN Rail has been nothing but evasive throughout this proposed acquisition. Many of the people in these forums live in towns that will see a decrease in CN rail traffic as it is shifted from their lines to the EJ&E. HOWEVER, CN Rail has also made no promises outside of 3 years. So all those towns will be right back where they where in 3 years time. In addition, take a really good look at the proposed expansions planned for Prince Rupert Port in Canada (who CN Rail is the only rail carrier for) and you will notice that by 2020 they will be a monster (5 Million TCU's - 20 foot equivilents). Through what line will these goods be transported?
Look, CN wants to position this acquisition as if it's doing Chicago a favor and decreasing rail traffic, when effect it is in this for it's own purposes. The traffic isn't going anywhere for more than 3 years
time by CN's own account.
Why not look for a real answer to a regional problem rather than lining Canadian National Rail's pockets.

JB, thanks for the education. One thing you missed though is C.N. putting aside $40 mil. of which 5% of (do the math people) for grade improvements, which include overpasses, so as not to interrupt traffic, and emergency equipment. Where do you think the other HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS it's going to cost for said improvements?
I'm sure everyone is just raring to open there wallets to support another tax increase!!!

[mna]

dont like the trains...? then dont consume the stuff that is coming on on them. Trains are the ideal way to ship goods, not the wasteful big rigs that currently saunter around the country on the interstate system (which people in barrington also complain about!).

[railham]

Jim V wrote:

I have lived near the trains that have to go through Chicago along the west line. Becuase of the congestion of trains trying to get through Chicago trains are often at a stand still with their engines running for 6-8 hours before moving. These lines are a huge economic benefit for the city and all of us in the region need to usnderstand that we all need to praticipate and not get all NIMBY. I don't feel sorry for Barrington at all. Build a bridge.

Jim...all very true. The rail lines in the Chicago area are very important to the health of the country as a whole. The way this is being played out is a few of the wealthy communities on the outskirts of Chicago are trying to stop this plan because they don't wish to be inconvenienced occasionally by having to wait a few minutes for a train to pass. If they would just look around them in the region they would see that many of the outlying towns in the region have three times the number of trains passing through daily as are proposed and manage to survive and prosper. The NIMBYS keep coming up with the fact that CN is Canadian owned, and I have to ask these few questions:
Since when is Canada our enemy? They are our largest trading partner, and a loyal ally to our government, and vice versa. The Canadian people love the people of the US.
Is CN really a "Canadian" Company? NO. CN is a publicly traded company (NYSE CNI) that has thousands of stockholders that live in the United States, as well as thousands of employees that work here, pay taxes and vote. They are the premier rail company in North America and are good corporate citizens.
The President of CN is an American who started his career as a laborer with the Illinois Central and worked his way up the ranks to be the President of one of the largest rail companies in the World...pretty impressive.
For the antis, ask yourself these final questions: In this day and age of international business, what American Company doesn't have operations overseas? Would you be upset if one of our overseas allies accused the American company that you worked for of deceit, and said that your company couldn't do business there since your headquarters were in the USA? I know, it certainly sounds shortsighted when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn't it?

[JBChitown]

railham wrote:

<quoted text>
Jim...all very true. The rail lines in the Chicago area are very important to the health of the country as a whole. The way this is being played out is a few of the wealthy communities on the outskirts of Chicago are trying to stop this plan because they don't wish to be inconvenienced occasionally by having to wait a few minutes for a train to pass. If they would just look around them in the region they would see that many of the outlying towns in the region have three times the number of trains passing through daily as are proposed and manage to survive and prosper. The NIMBYS keep coming up with the fact that CN is Canadian owned, and I have to ask these few questions:
Since when is Canada our enemy? They are our largest trading partner, and a loyal ally to our government, and vice versa. The Canadian people love the people of the US.
Is CN really a "Canadian" Company? NO. CN is a publicly traded company (NYSE CNI) that has thousands of stockholders that live in the United States, as well as thousands of employees that work here, pay taxes and vote. They are the premier rail company in North America and are good corporate citizens.
The President of CN is an American who started his career as a laborer with the Illinois Central and worked his way up the ranks to be the President of one of the largest rail companies in the World...pretty impressive.
For the antis, ask yourself these final questions: In this day and age of international business, what American Company doesn't have operations overseas? Would you be upset if one of our overseas allies accused the American company that you worked for of deceit, and said that your company couldn't do business there since your headquarters were in the USA? I know, it certainly sounds shortsighted when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn't it?

So your belief that Canadian National Rail is an American Company (very funny really) in some way makes the business Prince Rupert Port will take from America's West Coast ports...what, a shift in business from one American port to another? Please. CN rail is the ONLY rail line that has access to Prince Rupert and just what line do you think they will use to ship this increased business through...exactly right, the EJ&E which is intrical to their little plan. Go read the article 'Prince Rupert Casts a Wary Eye on Chicago' then do a tlittle research on Prince Ruperts own website about their 5 million TCU's by 2020 and then talk to me about how American taxpayers should be happy to foot the bills this prposed CN acquisition would create. Get real.

[PJH]

I have some mixed feelings about this issue. I do not live in Barrington, but my commute is affected by this in two ways. If I drive I go through Barrington via the road known as County Line/Main St./Lake Cook depending on whether you are in the city or to its west or East. If I do not drive I take the UP NW Metra line. Both of these routes are crossed by the EJ&E in Barrington.

I can understand to a point that the residents aren't excited about this transaction. Who would be other than a rail fan. It must also be said that the downtown area affected by this does already have pretty decent traffic issues. The traffic on US 14, Rt 59, and County Line/Main St./Lake Cook all converges in that area and can make for some pretty good back up. That said it is definitely not the worst I have seen in the area. The increased traffic on the EJ&E will almost certainly affect some of Metra's expansion efforts on the UP NW, the Starline (assuming that ever happens), and of course the other Metra lines that it crosses.

That said I have a bit of a hard time feeling their pain even though this issue affects me too. It must be said that there are some very well off residents who have the resources to try fighting this. I have a hard time getting past that this should relieve some rail traffic on those in the generally poorer southern sections of the city who deal with much higher levels of traffic than this line will ever see.

[Saluki Rod]

Trains have always been around, and travel has always been affected by them. Enough of these NIMBY's. Move even further out in the sticks if you can't stomach progress.

[Horace]

CN has direct links to the Alberta tar sands. Extremely heavy crude that can't move by pipeline will move by rail through Barrington and Lake Zurich and Aurora on its way to the BP refinery in Whiting, IN (or to the other refinery that can handle the sludge in Toledo). And then the empty tank cars - train after train of them - will move back to the North. When gas is $7 a gallon, no one outside of Barrington is going to care that it's tough to get to the center of town on Saturday afternoon.

[Arthur]

Unless you live near an active Canadian National rail line you have no idea of the arrogance and cars and residents be damned. They think noting of running multiple trains through the same intersection and stopping wherever they are for other rail traffic and blocking street crossings for 15 minutes at a time. And yes they do keep engines running. If they did this in the rail yard it might not be such a big deal but when they do it on a rail ine outside the yard in a residential area for 6 hours at a time, well you just can't imagine the noise and the smell. Canadian National is no friend. Just another money and power hungry corporation.

[James]

Another reason why people in the suburbs are so selfish. They want everything quiet and desolate. More trains means increased business in the region and that is good for the economy. If these people don't like it, MOVE somewhere else! Build overpasses and underpasses just like every other city does near major railways. Duhhhh! hmmmm. How lazy and pathetic you people are in Barrington. More train traffic means more economic growth. Duhhh... that's how this country was built: railroads.

And yes, the railroad was there before YOU selfish suburban yuppies.