Saukville Rail to See Improvements Thanks to Grant

The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company is preparing to rehabilitate the rail running from Saukville north to Plymouth, thanks to a $6.9 million grant from the state's Freight Railroad Preservation Program.

The project will make the rail safer for trains and crossing traffic, and increase the rail speed from 5 mph to 25, according to WSOR Manager of Commuinty Development Ken Lucht.

The track was purchased by the state in 2006, according to Lutz, in a state of disrepair. Since then, traffic on the tracks has doubled and there has been more demand for improvements.

"Demand is up for rail," Lucht said. "It's very attractive as energy prices go up because we have better fuel efficiency."

Lucht said the rail is primarily used to transport plastics to Sheboygan County for manufacture, and to bring fertilizers and lumber to Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties.

As part of the project, WSOR will replace 15 road crossings and reconstruct 16 rail turnouts, which allow trains to switch tracks. Workers will also replace 50,000 crossties and lay 53,000 tons of new ballast — the rocky bed under the tracks.

Lucht said they will hire about 30 seasonal workers to do the 8-week job starting in April.

The grant will cover 80 percent of the $8.7 million rehabilitation project. WSOR will cover another 10 percent of the cost with a loan from the Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program, and pay the remaining 10 percent with help from the East Wisconsin Counties Railroad Consortium.

The grant awarded to WSOR was the largest of six loans and four grants totaling over $17 million from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Gov. Scott Walker announced the awards Sept. 22.

"Wisconsin’s freight rail system plays a major role in our state’s economy, moving raw materials to industry and finished products to markets," Walker said in a press release from WisDOT. "These awards will help support economic growth in communities across our state and help ensure Wisconsin remains open for business."

The $8.7 million project is only phase one of rehabilitation. In phase two, WSOR plans to replace worn rail with continuous welded rail.

WSOR operates in southern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois, and transports products such as lumber, coal, fertilizers, corn, beans, plastic, ethanol and liquid petroleum.