Great Lakes Basin clarifies location of proposed freight-rail line

Great Lakes Basin Transportation Inc. (GLBT) yesterday filed a response to the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) request for additional information on the company's proposed new freight railroad that would operate through Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

On June 2, the STB told GLBT that it needed to provide more details in its application for regulatory approval to build the new rail line. Among the board's demands was a list specifying the cities and counties through which the railroad would operate.

In its response, GLBT officials said the line would not be built through populated areas of any incorporated cities. The counties through which it will serve are Winnebago, Ogle, Lee, LaSalle, Grundy and Kankakee in Illinois; Lake, Porter and LaPorte in Indiana; and Rock in Wisconsin.

The line would cross the incorporated municipalities of Kingsbury and Lowell, Ind.; and Rochelle and Rockford, Ill.

"It should be kept in mind that the purpose of the line is to expedite freight shipments originating and terminating on other carriers around the congested Chicago area," GLBT officials said in the filing. "To minimize environmental impacts, GLBT located its proposed line to avoid cities and existing homes outside city limits to the maximum extent possible."

Subject to interchange agreements, GLBT proposes its line would connect with several freight railroads at various points.