Earlier this week, I posted that Obama and Biden were signaling support for passenger rail by arriving at their inauguration via Amtrak. However, will Obama support freight rail?
The Brothers of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen report on Canadian National Railway’s plan to purchase the EJ&E rail line:
Canadian National’s proposed purchase of the EJ&E rail line would boost the Chicago-area economy by $60 million a year, create hundreds of new jobs and ease freight gridlock.
Despite these benefits, Obama sided with people concerned that more trains is a bad thing:
…residents northwest of Chicago could see at least 20 trains daily, up from about five a day under the current EJ&E usage.
“I am seriously concerned about the potential hardships for communities associated with increased freight traffic, including traffic delays and the effect on emergency responders in communities who must pass through many at-grade crossings to reach people who need their help,” Mr. Obama wrote on his U.S. Senate stationery from Washington.
I live near a rail line with about 20 trains per day and frequently cross it at an unprotected at-grade level road crossing. On the rare occasion that I need to stop for a train, I do not experience any hardship. I am much happier to have more trains as opposed to more trucks on the road.