North Cook News

The village of Roselle is continuing to voice its opposition to a proposed major railway merger which is under review by federal authorities.

In the summer of 2022, Canadian Pacific Railroad and Kansas City Southern Railroad started the process of requesting a merger between the two massive railways. The $31 billion merger would affect towns all over the country, from Chicago to Houston, and many residents in Roselle are opposed to it, Reuters reported. 

“We anticipate the federal government will make its final decision this spring,” Mayor David Pileski said during the Feb. 13 board meeting. “Regardless of that outcome, though, we will continue to work with the rail companies and all government agencies to ensure that we can provide the necessary relief and protection for our residents and businesses”

Roselle was one of the first and most adamant opponents to the merger which would run an estimated eight additional trains through the village each day. Village leaders joined a coalition to stop the merger from happening along with many other communities opposed to the changes. They have been fighting this for over a year now, and the Surface Transportation board recently released its final findings for potential environmental impacts and will make its final decision on whether or not it will be approved soon.

In his annual State of the Village address, Pileski praised the efforts of his community for advocating for themselves and the place they call home. They garnered support from eight different elected state and federal officials, and they have held or attended hearings in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Citizens of Roselle have written more than 130 letters to their representatives and submitted almost 30 comments to the Board of Surface Transportation to plead their case. 

The Board of Surface Transportation recently announced that it had found no substantial environmental impact from the potential merger that could stand in the way of approving it. Many legislators started urging the board to delay the final decision – which could happen as soon as Feb. 28 and by April 1 at the latest – so that they could provide their own arguments and findings, or find better ways to protect their communities, WQAD has reported.