Canada's largest freight railroad, the Canadian National Railway (CN), announced Wednesday that it has completed construction of the first major rail connection built as part of the continuing integration of the Elgin, Joliet and Easter Railway Company (EJ&E) that, when all connections are constructed, will enhance the fluidity of train movements along CN routes in the greater Chicago area.
The new $5 million connection at Griffith, Indiana creates an efficient, direct route for CN freight trains moving between Kirk Yard in Gary, Indiana, and points farther east on company's rail network.
CN, which completed its purchase of the EJ&E on January 31, 2009, is investing more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements to integrate the EJ&E onto its other lines in Chicago.
The integration also includes building new rail connections at Mundelein, Illinois, Bartlett, Illinois, Joliet, Illinois, and Matteson, Illinois. Engineering or construction work is now underway on the balance of the connection projects.
Jim vena, CN senior VP, Southern Region, said: "CN is pleased to have reached this milestone and finished the first major EJ&E connection project. This connection is a significant step toward our goal of fully utilizing the EJ&E and providing improved rail fluidity in Chicago."
The Griffith connection project, started in late 2009, was completed November 19, 2010. Three trains per day operate over the new connection, which links CN's South Bend Subdivision with the Matteson Subdivision leading to Kirk Yard.