ITASCA, Ill. — Some two months after announcing plans to do so, eight western Chicago suburbs have formalized their formation of a coalition to address concerns over the impact of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger.
And while many communities along the routes of the CPKC, the company that would be formed by the merger, are requesting measures to mitigate the impact of projected increased rail traffic, the name of this group — the Coalition to Stop CPKC — indicates a loftier goal.
Mayors of the cities of Itasca, Barlett, Bensenville, Elgin, Hanover Park, Roselle, Schaumburg, and Wood Dale appeared at a press conference Tuesday, along with police and fire officials, to discuss their effort. The eight cities, all on the Metra Milwaukee West line shared with CP, could see an increase in freight traffic from three to 11 trains daily. They first indicated plans to join together to oppose the merger in December [see “Chicago suburbs express concern …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 16, 2021].
“We know we have our work cut out for us,” Itasca Mayor Jeff Pruyn said at the press conference, according to a report in the Daily Herald newspaper. “But we need to make sure our voices are heard.” Pruyn said the communities in the coalition include more than 300,000 residents and at least 50 grade crossings.
Pruyn said a single long train could block all five grade crossings in his community, impeding emergency vehicles. WLS-TV reports that Itasca Fire Department Chief John Buckley said about 48% of the department’s calls are on the opposite side of the tracks from the location of the fire station.
Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain described the city’s costs to mitigate the impact of increased rail traffic as “astronomical.” Others spoke of environmental, traffic, and safety concerns.
The mayors said the coalition will be filing its response to the merger with the Surface Transportation Board by the Feb. 28 deadline for comments.
Canadian Pacific representatives have met with the communities and have indicated their desire to be “good neighbors” in dealing with local issues.
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