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Congressman optimistic about planned rail sale

A Wisconsin Congressman says he hopes the announced sale of some underutilized railroad lines will lead to better service and lower rates for agricultural, forestry, and manufacturing shipments.  Tom Tiffany says since soon after the Wisconsin Central was sold to Canadian National, many of the communities not on the Superior to Appleton and Chicago mainline have seen tracks abandoned or rates increased. “The Highway 8 corridor from Rhinelander (WI) over to Goodman (WI) has been closed down for a number of years. That track needs improvement. I’m really hoping that that happens here as we go forward so we get good, competitive rail service.”

Tiffany says re-establishing good rail service has been a priority in northern Wisconsin. “I believe that it will benefit some of the existing industries that are in northern Wisconsin, especially the forest products industry.”

Tiffany says along with high freight rail costs, northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan’s highways have been impacted by more truck traffic.

A deal was announced this week where WATCO would buy about 650 miles of former Wisconsin Central branch lines from Rhinelander, Wisconsin east through the Michigan upper peninsula to Oba, Ontario, and 250 miles of the Soo subdivision in Ontario.  The terms were not disclosed. WATCO owns and operates several short line railroads throughout the U.S. including Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin including the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad.

Photo: Abandoned CN/Wisconsin Central tracks east of Rhinelander, WI that is part of the purchase by WATCO. This track at one time was the Soo Line main connection from Minneapolis to Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Photo: Josh Cline