[CHICAGO, IL]  Congressman Dan Lipinski issued the following statement concerning the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) final approval of the Canadian National (CN) Railroad acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern (EJ&E) Railway.

"The STB decision is a great Christmas gift for our region, and it is the right thing to do.  There will now be fewer blocked rail crossings, fewer idling trains, and an overall increase in the quality of life for area residents by moving trains from terribly congested areas out to under-utilized rail lines.

"As STB Chairman Charles Nottingham said, this decision will grant relief to ‘neighborhoods that have been disproportionately burdened for many decades.'  This will help all residents of my district who have been burdened by rail traffic, especially in communities such as Archer Heights, Berwyn, Beverly, Bridgeport, Bridgeview, Chicago Ridge, LaGrange, LaGrange Park, Mount Greenwood, North Riverside, Oak Lawn, and Summit which will be relieved of some train traffic.

"I am happy to see that the STB has placed some additional mitigation requirements on CN to help those who will face increased rail traffic.

"This acquisition will also help advance the progress that we have begun with the CREATE program to ease the region's rail congestion and keep Chicagoland - and our nation - economically vital.  I commend the STB for their hard work and exhaustive study of this issue."