Post by title1parent on Apr 22, 2010 5:08:10 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/2185158,CN-crossing-dely-report_SCN042110.article
Report: CN crossings saw 1,457 delays; CN says just 14
April 22, 2010
By ANDRE SALLES asalles@stmedianetwork.com
According to the federal Surface Transportation Board, Canadian National Railway Co. has some explaining to do — why it reported fewer than 20 incidents of blocked rail crossings on the former EJ&E line, while an independent study found more than 1,400 incidents.
In a report released Wednesday, the STB commanded officials from the railroad to appear at a hearing in Washington, D.C., next week to explain significant discrepancies in its monthly and quarterly reports on the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line.
Canadian National purchased the suburban Chicago tracks last year, and beginning in April 2009, the company has been making regular reports to the STB, the three-member board that oversees rail transactions.
In response to complaint letters received from residents along the EJ&E, the STB launched an independent audit of those reports — specifically, the ones filed in November and December 2009. The audit was conducted by HDR Inc., a company that also worked on the initial environmental impact study for the transaction in 2008.
In most areas, CN's reports hold up. But when it comes to reporting grade crossing blockages of more than 10 minutes, HDR found a significant difference between the reports and data collected automatically at those grade crossings by Radio Transmission Units. CN reported 14 blockages of 10 minutes or more, but HDR's data shows there were 1,457 such blockages, at 85 different crossings.
Forty-seven of those blockages occurred at Diehl Road in Naperville, and a another 35 at Liberty Street in Aurora, according to the report. Ogden Avenue in Aurora, which CN has been ordered to improve with a grade separation, saw six blockages.
"Given the availability of, and material difference presented by, the RTU-generated street blockage data, we would have expected CN to have brought that data to our attention far sooner in this process, and without the necessity of an independent audit by the board," said STB commissioners in the report.
Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron said the railroad has only been reporting blockages caused by stopped trains, and has been clearly saying so in its monthly and quarterly reports. He said it was the company's understanding that the STB was looking for incidents outside of normal rail operations.
"Gate downtimes of 10 minutes or more are not uncommon, especially in the Chicago area," Waldron said.
Waldron said that even with the RTU data added in, CN's numbers for November and December are better than those from the same two months in 2008, before the company bought the EJ&E. According to the audit, there were approximately 1,658 grade crossing blockages of 10 minutes or more in the last two months of 2008.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who also chairs The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC), a group of municipalities opposed to the sale, said this audit shows the company's "lack of candor."
"TRAC has suggested all along that CN has been less than forthcoming, and this is a perfect example of that," Weisner said.
Weisner pointed out that Liberty Street was on the list of most impacted grade crossings in the original 2008 impact statement, drafted by the STB. He said the drop in grade crossing blockages was likely caused by the economic slowdown, and not by anything CN did.
CN has been ordered to revise its monthly and quarterly reports for the past year, to include all blockages of 10 minutes or more, and to include that data in future reports. Waldron said the company would comply with all STB requests, and officials would appear at the hearing next week.
"I look forward to hearing how 1,443 blocked crossings at 85 different sites in just two short months could have gone unreported," said Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale. "They certainly didn't go unnoticed by the residents who live, work and raise their families near the tracks."
Report: CN crossings saw 1,457 delays; CN says just 14
April 22, 2010
By ANDRE SALLES asalles@stmedianetwork.com
According to the federal Surface Transportation Board, Canadian National Railway Co. has some explaining to do — why it reported fewer than 20 incidents of blocked rail crossings on the former EJ&E line, while an independent study found more than 1,400 incidents.
In a report released Wednesday, the STB commanded officials from the railroad to appear at a hearing in Washington, D.C., next week to explain significant discrepancies in its monthly and quarterly reports on the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line.
Canadian National purchased the suburban Chicago tracks last year, and beginning in April 2009, the company has been making regular reports to the STB, the three-member board that oversees rail transactions.
In response to complaint letters received from residents along the EJ&E, the STB launched an independent audit of those reports — specifically, the ones filed in November and December 2009. The audit was conducted by HDR Inc., a company that also worked on the initial environmental impact study for the transaction in 2008.
In most areas, CN's reports hold up. But when it comes to reporting grade crossing blockages of more than 10 minutes, HDR found a significant difference between the reports and data collected automatically at those grade crossings by Radio Transmission Units. CN reported 14 blockages of 10 minutes or more, but HDR's data shows there were 1,457 such blockages, at 85 different crossings.
Forty-seven of those blockages occurred at Diehl Road in Naperville, and a another 35 at Liberty Street in Aurora, according to the report. Ogden Avenue in Aurora, which CN has been ordered to improve with a grade separation, saw six blockages.
"Given the availability of, and material difference presented by, the RTU-generated street blockage data, we would have expected CN to have brought that data to our attention far sooner in this process, and without the necessity of an independent audit by the board," said STB commissioners in the report.
Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron said the railroad has only been reporting blockages caused by stopped trains, and has been clearly saying so in its monthly and quarterly reports. He said it was the company's understanding that the STB was looking for incidents outside of normal rail operations.
"Gate downtimes of 10 minutes or more are not uncommon, especially in the Chicago area," Waldron said.
Waldron said that even with the RTU data added in, CN's numbers for November and December are better than those from the same two months in 2008, before the company bought the EJ&E. According to the audit, there were approximately 1,658 grade crossing blockages of 10 minutes or more in the last two months of 2008.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who also chairs The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC), a group of municipalities opposed to the sale, said this audit shows the company's "lack of candor."
"TRAC has suggested all along that CN has been less than forthcoming, and this is a perfect example of that," Weisner said.
Weisner pointed out that Liberty Street was on the list of most impacted grade crossings in the original 2008 impact statement, drafted by the STB. He said the drop in grade crossing blockages was likely caused by the economic slowdown, and not by anything CN did.
CN has been ordered to revise its monthly and quarterly reports for the past year, to include all blockages of 10 minutes or more, and to include that data in future reports. Waldron said the company would comply with all STB requests, and officials would appear at the hearing next week.
"I look forward to hearing how 1,443 blocked crossings at 85 different sites in just two short months could have gone unreported," said Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale. "They certainly didn't go unnoticed by the residents who live, work and raise their families near the tracks."