Chicago-area mayors call for proposed freight rail merger to be delayed

CHICAGO - A coalition of Chicago-area mayors is citing the Ohio train derailment as a reason to halt a proposed freight rail merger.

Their biggest fear is what happened in Palestine, Ohio could happen right here at home.

In February alone, there have been six train derailments involving hazardous materials.

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That is why local municipalities are calling for the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads to be delayed.

Elected officials and first responders testified in Itasca and Washington, D.C. about the detrimental impact of the increased number of trains and train lengths. 

Still, the Surface Transportation Board claims there will be minimal impact on communities in the Chicagoland area.

The mayor of Itasca says right now three trains run on the tracks daily. The merger would increase traffic to 14 a day.