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CN recently completed the first major rail connection associated with the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Co. (EJ&E) integration in the Chicago area. Three trains per day operate over the new connection, which links CN's South Bend Subdivision with the Matteson Subdivision leading to Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind.

The $5 million connection in Griffith, Ind., offers an “efficient, direct route” for trains moving between Kirk Yard and points farther east on the Class I’s network, CN officials said in a prepared statement.

“This connection is a significant step toward our goal of fully utilizing the EJ&E and providing improved rail fluidity in Chicago,” said Jim Vena, CN senior vice president-Southern Region.

The railroad plans to spend more than $100 million on infrastructure improvements to integrate the EJ&E into its other Chicago-area lines. The integration also calls for building new rail connections in Mundelein, Bartlett, Joliet and Matteson, Ill. Engineering or construction work is under way on the balance of the connection projects, according to CN.