The new congestion: Freight trains

Driving north on Route 83 as of late, I’ve noticed red white and blue signs popping up in Mundelein yards. The signs list the slogan “People before Freight” and the Web address FightRailCongestion.com.

FightRailCongestion.com is maintained by the Barrington Communities Against CN Rail Congestion, a committee protesting Canadian National Railroad’s intent to increase rail traffic along EJ&E lines from 5 trains per day to 20. They have included Mundelein, through which the EJ&E tracks also run, in their campaign.

The EJ&E tracks cross several roads that may factor into my commute: Route 83, Gilmer Road, Fairfield Road. I don’t know what times of day this traffic would be heaviest, but increased train traffic during rush hours will slow my commute and I am not a fan of that idea. In my experience, commuter trains don’t cause as long of a delay as freight trains and thus any delay might be manageable, but freight trains are another story.

Filed under: Rails, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, CN, EJ&E, Metra, Mundelein, railroad