Comment EI-13894
Received or sent (printed as 9/30/2008)
I am writing to comment on the CN acquisition of the EJ&E Rail Line and the impact of the proposed use of the EJ&E railway as a bypass" around Chicago. As a resident of one of those surrounding suburbs, I stand strongly opposed to the proposed acquisition for the following reasons: 1. Our railroad crossings in Plainfield are already terribly congested by existing train traffic. An increase to 42 trains daily will cause day-long grid lock. Trains often come to a complete stop in Plainfield thereby stopping traffic across 4 high volume crossings and paralyzing movement for up to 20 minutes after the train re-starts. Current trains sit across the line for 10 minutes, imagine the disruption that longer, more frequesnt trains will cause. 2. Resulting emergency response times will explode as these crossings block access to hospitals and fire stations needlessly increasing the danger to life and property. 3. Plainfield's highways feed traffic to many surrounding communities. The resulting disruption will undoubtedly cause economic hardship and increases in travel times and emergency response across a wide, highly populated area. I strongly support the positions of TRAC and believe that the STB will understand that traffic changes can only be made AFTER substantial investment and changes via underpasses or elevated rail line construction. Only then can an acquisition be approvved. Thank you David Bachtel 22523 Prairie Crossing Plainfield, IL 60544 815-436-7874"
Submitted by: David Bachtel
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35087/comment/EI-13894 · back to the docket sheet