STB News Release, 12/17:
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD EXTENDS GRAND TRUNK-EJ&E TRANSACTION OVERSIGHT
FOR 2 YEARS
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it has extended for two years the oversight period of the Board-approved transaction in which the Canadian National Railway and the Grand Trunk Corporation (collectively, CN) acquired control of the EJ&E West Company (EJ&E) in 2008. The Board’s action grants the petition of the Village of Barrington, Illinois, and the TRAC Coalition (collectively, Barrington) to extend the oversight period until January 23, 2017.
In reaching its decision, the Board expressed concern regarding the impacts on the surrounding communities of increased rail traffic on the EJ&E line. In particular, the Board noted the connection between increased train traffic and increases in vehicle traffic delay, noise, and air emissions—as well as a recent spike in blocked crossings on the EJ&E line.
The Board’s approval of CN’s acquisition of control of EJ&E was originally subject to a five-year monitoring and oversight period to allow the agency to closely examine various impacts of the transaction. In a subsequent Board decision, the agency extended the oversight period for an additional year, until January 23, 2015. As part of oversight, CN is required to submit to the Board quarterly reports detailing its compliance with agency-imposed environmental conditions, and monthly reports detailing its operations, including the number of instances a crossing is blocked for more than 10 minutes and average daily train counts on various EJ&E line segments.
Today’s decision extending the oversight period was issued in Canadian National Railway Company and Grand Trunk Corporation—Control—EJ&E West Company, FD 35087. That decision may be viewed and downloaded at the STB’s website, www.stb.dot.gov , under “E-LIBRARY / Decisions & Notices / 12/17/14” .
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