Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) issued the following statement after the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia announced a unanimous decision rejecting claims by Canadian National (CN) that the railroad should not be required to pay $68 million in mitigation costs associated with two suburban rail crossings along the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) line, including a grade separation at Ogden Avenue in Aurora:

           “This decision affirms that the STB acted well within its authority in ordering CN to help mitigate the safety and traffic problems its trains create.  The court rightly made it clear that Canadian National can’t continue to dodge its responsibilities to suburban residents. 

           “Our communities have been cut in half by CN’s freight traffic, yet the Surface Transportation Board required the railroad to provide significant funding for only two -- out of 112 -- highway grade crossings on the EJ&E.  There’s no question the railroad got off easy, but it still fought even that paltry requirement.  Local residents deserve better.  We must continue to hold CN’s feet to the fire for the obligations it owes our communities.”

###