Congressman Krishnamoorthi Leads Bipartisan Press Conference At Hanover Park Metra Train Station With Local Elected Officials In Opposition To Current Terms of CP-KCS Railway Merger

HANOVER PARK, IL – This morning, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi led a press conference with both Democratic and Republican local elected officials at the Hanover Park Metra Train Station in opposition to the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad. During the press conference, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, and other prominent elected officials noted the negative impact of the merger on surrounding communities, as the proposed plan will more than triple freight rail traffic on the CP rail line that runs between Bensenville and Elgin, Illinois.

Right before the press conference, Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter with Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Marie Newman to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, opposing the merger as currently proposed and expressing their concerns about the impact of the $31 billion merger on local communities with regards to emergency response time, drastically delayed commuter rail operations, the environment, noise levels, and pedestrian safety. In raising these concerns in their bicameral letter and urging the Surface Transportation Board to hear directly from impacted communities as they consider the merger, the Members also noted similar concerns expressed by a coalition of local communities, as well as Metra, regarding the merger's likely negative consequences in the absence of more significant mitigation efforts. A copy of the letter is available here.

"I was proud to join leaders from our community today in Hanover Park in speaking out against the merger, as well as joining with my Congressional colleagues in expressing those same concerns in our letter to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. "As things stand, this merger would more than triple freight rail traffic between Bensenville and Elgin while providing no meaningful mitigation or relief to local communities for the negative consequences that rail activity will have in terms of public safety, noise increases, environmental impacts, and the timely function of local Metra service. So far, we have received no proposals that seriously address the needs of our constituents, and that's why I am leading a coalition of Illinois leaders in calling on the Surface Transportation Board to heed the very real concerns of the families who will live with the consequences of the Board's decision on this proposed merger."

Bipartisan local elected officials joining Congressman Krishnamoorthi at the press conference included Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, Itasca Mayor Jeff Pruyn, Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod, Wood Dale Mayor Nunzio Pulice, and several DuPage and Cook County Commissioners and Trustees.

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Congressman Krishnamoorthi speaks in opposition to the merger as currently proposed in front of the train tracks at Hanover Park Metra Train Station