Barrington receives money for railroad crossing

Barrington will get nearly $3 million in federal funds to plan for a grade separation at the EJ&E Railway tracks, but paying for the full project is a long way off given the cost.

The improvement is intended for Route 14 and the EJ&E crossing, which now is owned by the Canadian National Railway. CN’s successful bid to purchase the smaller EJ&E and move freight trains to it drew overwhelming opposition from Barrington residents over concerns about traffic, noise and safety.

Now the city will receive $2.8 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation jobs program, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean announced recently. The railroad crossing is used by about 40,000 commuters daily. The money will pay for engineering and design, but finding funding for the entire project is a challenge.

A grade separation under construction in Downers Grove will cost $59 million.