WASHINGTON – Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with two of the state’s representatives, have told federal regulators that they oppose the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, citing projections of increased freight traffic in Chicago and its suburbs.
“The proposed merger will reportedly more than triple freight rail traffic on the CP rail line that runs between Bensenville and Elgin, Illinois. We are concerned this increase will have significant impacts on noise, emergency response time, commuter rail operations, the environment, and pedestrian safety. We oppose the merger as currently proposed, and we urge the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to give our concerns all due consideration as you review the proposed merger and consider potential mitigation and oversight measures,” Durbin, Duckworth, and Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Marie Newman wrote in a July 25 letter to STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman.
They note that Metra, the Chicago-area commuter railroad, and the Coalition to Stop CPKC have raised objections to the merger. The coalition includes eight communities that line CP’s Elgin Subdivision.
“The safety and livelihood of our Illinois communities must be a top priority as the STB considers this merger. Local residents, emergency response teams, and elected officials have voiced serious concerns about the impacts of increasing the number of freight trains running through their communities. In addition, Metra has expressed concern that the merger could cause a significant increase in delays to commuter rail,” the Democrats wrote.
They also urged board members to visit Illinois to hear directly from communities that would be affected by the merger.
CP has told the STB that the merger would have no impact on Metra’s operations. Traffic on the Milwaukee District West line west of Bensenville Yard will see an increase of eight trains per day, CP says, but the line has plenty of capacity.
CP also has told the board that NIMBY opposition in the Chicago area was “outrageous.”
“The Coalition to Stop CPKC’s demand for more than nine billion dollars in infrastructure investments to address the addition of only eight additional freight to lines that daily host upwards of 70 total trains (including Metra passenger trains), and have historically hosted more freight trains than CPKC will operate, is particularly egregious,” the railroads told the board this month. “They are happy to have CPKC’s anticipated freight traffic foisted on other communities but not in their backyards.”
