Canadian National – Page 20

CN Reaches Mitigation Agreements for EJ&E Acquisition With Matteson and Vernon Hills, Ill.

March 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced agreements with the villages of Matteson and Vernon Hills, Ill., addressing the municipalities’ concerns with CN’s acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). CN completed its EJ&E acquisition on Jan. 31. Under the agreements with south suburban Matteson, CN will fund the creation of quiet zones and noise mitigation, and provide emergency response personnel training, among other items. In north suburban Vernon Hills, CN will assist in the creation and maintenance of quiet zones, install safety fencing, and provide emergency response personnel training and emergency communication improvements. “CN continues

CN Reaches Voluntary Mitigation Agreement with Richton Park, Ill., on EJ&E Acquisition

March 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced a voluntary mitigation agreement with the Village of Richton Park, Ill., located southwest of Chicago, addressing the municipality’s concerns with CN’s acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). CN completed its EJ&E acquisition on Jan. 31. The agreement will see CN assist in the creation and maintenance of quiet zones, fund safety fencing, and provide emergency response personnel training and emergency communication improvements. “Our pact with Richton Park marks the twelfth voluntary mitigation agreement signed by CN with communities affected by the EJ&E acquisition,” said Gordon Trafton, CN senior

CN and Norfolk Southern Announce MidAmerica Corridor Initiative to Speed Freight Between Midwest and Southeast

February 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — CN and Norfolk Southern announced an initiative to create a “MidAmerica Corridor” in which the railroads will share track between Chicago, St. Louis, Kentucky and Mississippi to establish shorter and faster routes for merchandise and coal traffic moving between the Midwest and Southeast. This initiative, when finalized through definitive agreements, will have three components. First, Norfolk Southern (NS) will haul CN freight between Chicago and St. Louis, reducing the distance between these points for CN shipments by 60 miles and providing improved connections to other rail carriers through the St. Louis gateway. Second, NS will use CN’s

CN Closes Transaction to Acquire Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway

February 1, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN has completed its acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). The closing follows the Jan. 23, 2009, effective date of the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Dec. 24, 2008, decision approving the transaction. CN will now begin a measured, step-by-step integration of the acquired EJ&E lines to ensure a safe, efficient combination of the two rail operations. EJ&E operates over 198 main line miles of track encircling the City of Chicago from Waukegan, Ill., on the north, to Joliet, Ill., on the west, to Gary, Ind., on the southeast, and then

AAR: Rail Freight Traffic Down During Holiday Week

December 31, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down during the holiday week ended December 27 in comparison with the corresponding holiday week last year the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Total volume was estimated at 21.4 billion ton-miles, down 20.1 percent from the same week last year. Intermodal volume totaled 124,061 trailers or containers, down 21.8 percent from last year, with container volume down 21.5 percent and trailer volume down 23.2 percent. Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 200,365 cars for the week, down 21.7 percent from last year. Loadings were down 26.5 percent

CN: Disappointed in Appeal Court Ruling Sanctioning CTA Grain Rate Reduction

December 31, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — CN in November expressed disappointment in a Federal Court of Appeal of Canada ruling that lets stand a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) decision issued earlier this year to reduce rail revenue entitlement for grain transportation retroactively under the Canada Transportation Act. The CTA in February 2008 cut grain rates by eight per cent under railway revenue caps retroactive to Aug. 1, 2007, to reflect its determination of actual railway maintenance expenditures for government-owned grain hopper cars. CN appealed the CTA decision, saying it was flawed and that its retroactive application was illegal. CN estimates the CTA decision will

STB Approves CN Acquisition of EJ&E

December 24, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board unanimously approved the Canadian National Railway Company and Grand Trunk Corporation application to acquire control of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E), subject to a number of Board-imposed conditions. “Approval of this important railroad merger, with the conditions we have imposed, marks a significant step forward in our nation’s efforts to alleviate rail and highway congestion,” Board Chairman Charles D. Nottingham said. “I am pleased that the Board agreed, in a bipartisan and unanimous manner, after an unprecedented public involvement process, to grant the relief that this merger will provide to the

CN Reaches Seventh Illinois Voluntary Mitigation Agreement for EJ&E Transaction

December 23, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced a voluntary mitigation agreement with the Village of Mokena, Ill., located southwest of Chicago, that addresses the community’s concerns about CN’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). Under the agreement, CN would provide funding for quiet zones, noise mitigation, and emergency response personnel training and emergency communication capabilities. The agreement is contingent upon regulatory approval of CN’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E. The transaction is being reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which is encouraging voluntary mitigation agreements between CN and communities. “Our voluntary mitigation agreement

CN, Schererville, Ind., Agree on Mitigation Plan for EJ&E Transaction

December 19, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced an agreement with the Town of Schererville, Ind., located 28 miles south of Chicago, that would mitigate the impact on the community of CN’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). Under the agreement, CN will assist in the creation and maintenance of quiet zones in Schererville, and take various steps to improve train operations, communications, and emergency preparedness in the municipality. The agreement is contingent upon regulatory approval of CN’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E. The transaction is being reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which

CN, Village of Mundelein, Ill., Reach Agreement on Mitigation Plan for EJ&E transaction

December 9, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN and the Village of Mundelein, Ill., located northwest of Chicago, today jointly announced a voluntary mitigation agreement addressing the municipality’s concerns regarding CN’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). Under the agreement, CN will assist in the maintenance of quiet zones, and take various steps to increase the fluidity of train movements through Mundelein, as well as improve safety, communications, emergency preparedness, and Metra access. The agreement is contingent upon regulatory approval of CN’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E. The transaction is being reviewed by the Surface Transportation