A Metra train crosses over Highland Avenue in Elgin in January. City officials fear that a proposed merger of the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railway lines would nearly double train traffic and cause traffic, emergency vehicle and noise problems.
The federal Surface Transportation Board starts hearings on the merger next month and will be accepting public comments on the project’s environmental impact during a Sept. 12 meeting in Itasca. Comments can also be submitted during a merger hearing in Washington, D.C., at the end of September.Elgin is one of nine government bodies that make up the coalition, formed to fight the $31 billion deal that would create the largest freight company running from Mexico into Canada through the U.S.
“One of the things for us is the proximity of the rail line to our downtown and the river. It’s a big concern,” the mayor said. Kaptain and Elgin City Manager Rick Kozal plan to be at the Washington hearing, where they will speak against the merger and ask that Canadian Pacific, which would assume control of Kansas City Southern, provide an insurance bond for potential accidents, he said.“You can’t think it’s not going to happen. We have to have a safety plan,” Kaptain said.