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 WSOR News Archive State Freight Railroad Preservation Program (FRPP) Receives Additional Funding On Monday, July 25th, 2005, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed into law Assembly Bill 100, the new 2005/2007 Wisconsin State Budget. This budget now provides a funding level for the State of Wisconsin's Freight Railroad Preservation Program (FRPP) of $6 million per year, up from just $2.25 million from the previous budget. As a result, the FRPP has received a funding level that will help rebuild the state-owned railroad system in a much timelier manner than the original funding would have allowed. Due to the state's increased investment in its freight railroad infrastructure, the system will be safer for employees and the public, rail transportation will remain a competitive alternative for shipping freight, and more jobs will be brought to the State of Wisconsin. Based on information provided from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. saves the State of Wisconsin and its local municipalities over $12 million every year in highway maintenance costs by eliminating more than 200,000 trucks that would otherwise be on the road. Wisconsin & Southern handles over 50,000 railcars annually on our railroad system. A single railcar holds the equivalent to approximately 3.6 truckloads. As the contract railroad operator for the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. works cooperatively with four Rail Transit Commissions and twenty Wisconsin counties to help preserve our highway systems and increase industrial tax bases throughout the state by encouraging industrial development along the railroad corridors. This public/private partnership had been in place now for 25 years and has become even stronger with the increased support. Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. would like to extend a special thank you to the Wisconsin State Legislature, Governor Jim Doyle, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for their continued support of this program. "Wisconsin & Southern will continue to address the problems that face our industry and work towards bringing more jobs to our state while preserving our highway systems," stated William Gardner, President and CEO of Wisconsin & Southern. For more information on this program or WSOR, you may contact Ken Lucht at (608) 243-9101, ext. 207 or by email. |