Reps. Mulligan/Krause Affirm Support for the Canadian National Merger with EJ& E Railway

July 1, 2008

Cook County, IL….Reduced traffic and railroad congestion are two reasons State Representative Rosemary Mulligan (R-Des Plaines) and State Representative Carolyn Krause (R-Mount Prospect) today affirmed their support for the Canadian National Merger with the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway.

“This merger dramatically reduces freight train traffic through our local communities which means motorists will spend a lot less time and money idling at railroad crossings,” said Mulligan. “This reduction may open the door for more frequent commuter trains to our area which not only has environmental benefits but with gas prices topping $4 a gallon would save money for local families.”

“Many communities will notice fewer freight trains passing through on the CN line, such as: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Mount Prospect, and Des Plaines. In these areas, the number of freight trains will drop from nineteen daily trains on average to two trains per day,” said Krause. “By shifting some of the rail traffic to underutilized tracks further away from Chicago and the Cook County suburbs it will enhance the efficiency of the system and reduce transportation cost for companies which can then pass along the savings to consumers.”

Representative Mulligan and Representative Krause are strong supporters of the Star Line. The Star Line would become the 1st commuter rail line in northeastern Illinois designed to address suburb-to-suburb commutes.

Representative Mulligan and Representative Krause are aware that Canadian National has given public assurance to Metra that they will cooperate with them to design an operation acceptable to both operators, whether that be in the shape of a dedicated line for Metra or a shared track arrangement. Canadian National has already gone on public record to commit to do so. Representative Mulligan and Representative Krause are hopeful that Metra will join those future talks in good faith to develop an acceptable service offering that meets the needs of local consumers.

In addition, Representatives Mulligan and Krause believe a thorough environmental study and examination of the overall benefit to the entire region by the Surface Transportation Board will ultimately result in a decision to approve the merger.