| Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway | |
|---|---|
|
EJ&E (red) and Canadian National Railway (blue) as of 2008 |
|
| Reporting mark | EJE |
| Locale | Chicago and environs |
| Dates of operation | January 1, 1889– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Gary, Indiana |
The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (reporting mark EJE) is a Class II railroad that operates in the suburbs surrounding Chicago. The railroad is a link between Class I railroads in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. Nicknames for the railroad include "The J" and "The Chicago Outer Belt Line".
On September 26, 2007, the Canadian National Railway announced it plans to purchase a majority of the EJ&E, leaving only a small stretch of track in Indiana which will be reorganized as the Gary Railway. The purchase was approved on December 24, 2008 by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and the deal was consummated effective February 1, 2009.[1]
Contents |
The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern was created when several local railroads in Illinois and Indiana merged throughout the end of the 19th century. The original systems that would make up the EJ&E included the Joliet, Aurora & Northern Railway (which dates back to 1884) and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company of Illinois. The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway began operations on December 4, 1888 through the merger of these two systems. After the creation of the modern day EJ&E the railroad expanded by purchasing several other smaller lines including the Waukegan & Southwestern Railway; Gardner, Coal City & Northern Railway; Western Indiana Railroad; and the Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway.
The EJ&E moved to serve industries in the Hammond-East Chicago-Whiting industrial district by acquiring trackage rights in 1894. However, construction of the present line to Gary, Whiting and South Chicago was initiated in 1899 by the Griffith and Northern Railway. Connections with the Chicago, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway and the Western Indiana Railway further penetrated the district, although the EJ&E subsequently acquired both lines. In 1901, United States Steel Corporation purchased the railroad.
The railroad's passenger services began with the start of operations in January 1889.[2] The railroad stopped operating passenger trains in 1907,[3] but continued passenger service until 1909. During those two years, passengers would be transported by caboose.[4]
In 1988, United States Steel and the Blackstone Group formed Transtar Inc. to serve as a shareholder of the EJ&E and several other affiliated railroads and companies. In March 2001, the Blackstone Group ended their ownership interest in Transtar, resulting in its becoming a fully owned subsidiary of United States Steel.
On May 16, 2006, the EJ&E was the recipient of the 2005 Bronze E. H. Harriman Award for employee safety in group C (line-haul railroads with less than 4 million employee hours per year).[5]
On September 10, 2007, Crain's Chicago Business reported that the Canadian National Railway was in talks to purchase the EJ&E.[6] In 2004, Canadian National had acquired two railroads, the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad and the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, that also previously been owned by Transtar, but that at the time CN acquired them were owned by Great Lakes Transportation, LLC, a Blackstone Group subsidiary created when USS became the sole owner of Transtar). The purchase agreement was officially announced on September 26; CN would purchase the majority of the line. The purchase was initially expected to close in mid-2008, valued at $300 million.
In fact, the closing did not take place until January 31, 2009 (effective February 1, 2009), following regulatory approval of the purchase by the Surface Transportation Board on December 24, 2008.[7][8][9] Canadian National plans to use the EJ&E to route trains around Chicago, where they now face lengthy delays because of congestion in the busy rail hub.
In accordance with its agreement with CN, Transtar retained some railroad infrastructure in Gary, Indiana; this infrastructure has been reorganized as the Gary Railway to continue serving U.S. Steel's plants there.[10][11]
On Tuesday, March 10, 2009, the first two Canadian National trains debuted on the Elgin, Joliet, & Eastern, with plans to run six trains per day on the lines in the near future.[12]
At the time of the railroad's sale, the EJ&E's roster[13] consisted of:
| Image | Locomotive Model | Quantity | Road Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMD SW1200 | 23 | 300-307, 310-324 | ||
| EMD SW1001 | 3 | 444-446 | ||
| EMD NW2 | 1 | 450 | Ex-Lake Terminal Railroad, paired with yard slug T2. | |
| EMD SW1500 | 1 | 460 | Ex-Southern Pacific. | |
| EMD SD18 | 5 | 615-616, 818, 851-852 | #818 upgraded to SD18U. | |
| EMD SD38 | 2 | 650, 654 | ||
| EMD SD38-2 | 20 | 656-675 | Several upgraded to "-2/3" status. | |
| EMD GP38-2 | 1 | 703 | Purchased in 1972. Sold to Birmingham Southern Railroad in 1987. Repurchased in 1996. | |
| EMD SDM | 6 | 804, 809-811, 813-815 | Ex-Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range. Rebuilt from EMD SD9s in 1990. |
The EJ&E connects the following cities and large towns:
Belt Railway Company of Chicago
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||