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 WSOR News Archive Wisconsin & Southern Operates Special Train To Raise Awareness of Rail Conditions
While it's unclear how the people holding the signs felt about the Wisconsin & Southern, they effectively summed up the railroad's message to state and county officials Friday. The railroad hosted about 30 officials from the state Department of Transportation and several counties, including Rock, on a trip from Janesville to Madison. Passengers experienced rail conditions firsthand in the "theater car," which included plush seats and a transparent back wall to see the track. Wisconsin & Southern President Bill Gardner said the railroad hosts several of these trips a year, but Friday's trip took on extra importance coming after two derailments in Fulton Township in a two-month span. Gardner described the first derailment, Feb. 16, as the worst derailment he'd ever had. The incident cost the company $1.2 million. Railroad officials blamed both derailments on the condition of the track, which is publicly owned. Much of the track in Rock County is more than 80 years old and was built to handle much lighter cars than the ones that travel it today, they said. "That rail that was laid in 1924 is just not capable of handling what we're running today," Gardner said. Passengers immediately felt the difference as the train switched from newer, 115-pound track to the 80-year-old, 90-pound track in Milton. While the first part of the trip was smooth and quiet, the train was swaying and noisy on the older track. Gardner emphasized the need for money in the state budget to lay new track between Milton and Madison. "We're really short of the funding that we need for this railroad," he said. The railroad falls under a mix of public and private jurisdiction: The Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission, made up of representatives from eight counties, owns the track, the state owns the right-of-way and the Wisconsin & Southern runs the trains. While the Wisconsin & Southern is responsible for track maintenance, the state pays for 80 percent of the improvements. The railroad and rail commission each pay another 10 percent. The state has under-funded improvements for years, Gardner said. Meanwhile, it's difficult to slow rail expansion because local economies depend on it. The next proposed state budget includes $11 million a year for state-owned railroad, an increase of $5 million over previous years, but much of that will be used to buy new track, he said. Wisconsin & Southern would need $20 million to rebuild the track between Milton and Madison over the next two years, said Ben Meighan, head of maintenance for the company. That's much easier said than done, said state Rep. Kim Hixson, a passenger on Friday's trip. "We do have limited resources in the state budget, and everyone wants a slice of the pie," he said. Hixson said the trip helped convince him of the need for more money for railroad upgrades. The railroad should be a priority, especially as new industries that depend on rail, such as ethanol plants, come into the area, he said. "We're talking the safety of people, the safety of the environment and the economic issues," he said. Hixson supports the additional money in the proposed budget but isn't sure if he could support the extra money the Wisconsin & Southern wants, he said. "It depends on what we would have to give up to get there," he said. Meanwhile, Fulton Township residents might have to be prepared for more derailments if the state doesn't provide the upgrade money, Gardner said. "If the money doesn't come, I don't want to see it happen, but it's going to happen," he said. "There will be more derailments." (by Stacy Vogel, from the Janesville Gazette, May 18, 2007, reproduced with permission) |
