Comment EI-4463
Received or sent (printed as 1/25/2008)
I attended the West Chicago scoping meeting on January 17th, 2008. I wanted to make note of the interaction of the East-West trains on the Union Pacific West line with the proposed CN line (on the current EJ&E (north-south) line. I would request that the environmental study explicitly account for the effects that an increased number of long and slow (or stop and go) freight trains being run on the north-south EJ&E (Proposed CN) line will have on the wait times and locations of currently running E-W trains on the Union Pacific West line that runs through Wheaton, IL. In addition, the study should also account for what effects these potential increased train delays could have on street traffic flow for both regular and emergency vehicles as well as additional diesel exhaust, engine idling noise and whistling as trains move from standby to through movements (on a busy 3 track main line) near our residential areas. (There may be a reverse effect e.g. The intersection issue could also affect communities up stream on the north-south line if priorities are given to the E-W lines.) There are many trains both Union Pacific and Metra that run through our town day and night including several coal trains (empty and full) of over 100 cars each. We have only one above grade bridge crossing out of 10 or so total crossings within the city. That bridge is not convenient to much of the traffic in downtown or the east side of town. (There is also an underpass on County Farm road on the far west side of the city). These effects may also be present for several other of the train lines in our region that have this configuration and should also be investigated. Since the early information (unverified) is that the intersection of E-W/N-S train line interlocking towers will be owned and therefore controlled privately by the CN what recourse will municipalities have with a private Canadian carrier if problems occur either now or in the future? What ways can potential problems be avoided or mitigated? Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Jim Stark
Submitted by: Jim Stark · Wheaton, IL.
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-4463 · back to the docket sheet