New Lenox, Ill., moves toward rail quiet zone

New Lenox, Ill., took the first step to establish quiet zones along the Canadian National tracks, the Southtown Star reports. At the July 26 village board meeting, trustees approved hiring Christopher Burke Engineering to study what improvements are necessary to qualify for a quiet zone and the costs involved. The firm's fee will not exceed $11,000.

Six crossings will be
evaluated, including those at Gougar, Nelson, Cedar, Spencer and Schoolhouse
roads as well as one on a private road.

The village and Will County
are in litigation with CN, trying to require the railroad to build an overpass
at one of these crossings.

The village hopes to be
reimbursed for the costs of safety improvements needed to establish a quiet
zone, which would mean that train engineers would not have to sound the horn at
railroad crossings.

The importance of a quiet
zone has increased because of the higher train traffic that CN plans on the
former EJ&E tracks. CN acquired the EJ&E line so it can route much of
its freight traffic onto the line, which encircles the Chicago area from Gary
to Joliet to Waukegan.