Rail Acquisition Approved by STB Russell News Service January 01, 2009 | Frankfort Neue Presse The U.S. Surface Transportation Board last week approved the Canadian National Railway's $300 million acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, with some conditions attached, along with a five-year oversight period. Frankfort Village officials had fought the purchase for over a year, fearing the proposed quadrupled number of trains rolling through town would pose serious safety, noise and environmental issues. But Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland and his board of trustees saw the handwriting on the wall after a federal hearing in November failed to recognize the village's concerns. After that hearing, before the STB in Washington, D.C., the village began negotiating with the CN in an effort to mitigate at least some safety and noise issues. Holland said last month that it became apparent that the STB, the President George Bush-appointed board that held sole jurisdiction over the sale, "wasn't listening" to Frankfort. He said he and other village officials were expecting the sale to be approved after an STB report noted that the CN acquisition would benefit people in the Chicago area, where some rail and highway congestion is expected to be alleviated. "They said that while there would be adverse impacts on some communities, there would be less (negative) impacts to the people of Chicago," Holland said. In mid-December, the Frankfort Village Board approved a negotiated agreement with the CN, which included: -Quiet zones supported and funded by the railroad -Constant warning circuitry supported and funded by the railroad -Correction of the Wolf Road bike path area -Fencing at Main park and Heritage Knolls Park -Funds for sound walls, berms, and/or vegetation on CN property to be used at the discretion of the village within a five-year timeframe -Emergency response training -Emergency protocol provided by the Canadian National -Funding for an emergency response vehicle -Train blockage protocol The STB's approval of the CN buy-out of the EJ&E was announced on Christmas Eve. Because of the long holiday weekend, village officials could not be reached for additional comment. _

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