MONROE - The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR) has put on hold its project for extending a rail line west of Monroe, which would cut into the Cheese Country Trail.
According to Ken Lucht, Wisconsin and Southern community development manger, the railroad has decided to hold off on its application "due to the recent economic downturn in rail traffic in Green County."
"It was the rail traffic in Green County. When it's back up to 2006-07 level, pre-recession level, we'll be forced to resubmit," he said in an interview with the Times late Wednesday. "Our decision has no bearing on future business materializing. We are still in contact with prospective businesses and will work together to approach this project as the justifiable need arises. Also, local opposition had no bearing on this decision. It was strictly a business decision."
Lucht said WSOR would revisit the need to increase rail capacity in Green County, possibly as early as next year.
Notification of the application to halt the expansion was given to DOT Tuesday, he said.
Monroe Mayor Bill Ross announced the WSOR change in plans Wednesday, after receiving the information from Tryg Knutson a representative of state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee.
In an e-mail to Knutson Tuesday, Frank Huntington, Supervisor of the Rail Project and Property Management Unit in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, verified that his office had received official word from WSOR "indicating that they are putting this project on hold at this time."
"They may resubmit in the future, but it is my understanding that they are removing this project from consideration this year," Huntington said, in the e-mail.
Huntington indicated that transportation department applications are due around Feb. 1 each year, with Huntington's staff making final recommendations by the end of June. Final approval comes from the transportation secretary soon after. Huntington stated that the Transportation Economic Assistance Program and the Freight Rail Assistance Program allow applicants to correct and add information to submitted applications.
Controversy has swirled around the loss of part of the Cheese Country Trail since July 2009, when the Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission (PRTC) voted to return a 4.5-mile stretch between Honey Creek Road and Patterson Road, just west of Monroe, back to the railroad.
Bob Voegeli from Green County ATV Club was happy to hear from Green County Supervisor Oscar Olson who called to tell him the news.
"That was a lot of money we were going to lose," Voegeli said Wednesday, on his way to Lafayette County for an ATV meeting in Darlington.
"We did a lot of running for it. We're going to keep it going now," he said.
According to Ken Lucht, Wisconsin and Southern community development manger, the railroad has decided to hold off on its application "due to the recent economic downturn in rail traffic in Green County."
"It was the rail traffic in Green County. When it's back up to 2006-07 level, pre-recession level, we'll be forced to resubmit," he said in an interview with the Times late Wednesday. "Our decision has no bearing on future business materializing. We are still in contact with prospective businesses and will work together to approach this project as the justifiable need arises. Also, local opposition had no bearing on this decision. It was strictly a business decision."
Lucht said WSOR would revisit the need to increase rail capacity in Green County, possibly as early as next year.
Notification of the application to halt the expansion was given to DOT Tuesday, he said.
Monroe Mayor Bill Ross announced the WSOR change in plans Wednesday, after receiving the information from Tryg Knutson a representative of state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee.
In an e-mail to Knutson Tuesday, Frank Huntington, Supervisor of the Rail Project and Property Management Unit in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, verified that his office had received official word from WSOR "indicating that they are putting this project on hold at this time."
"They may resubmit in the future, but it is my understanding that they are removing this project from consideration this year," Huntington said, in the e-mail.
Huntington indicated that transportation department applications are due around Feb. 1 each year, with Huntington's staff making final recommendations by the end of June. Final approval comes from the transportation secretary soon after. Huntington stated that the Transportation Economic Assistance Program and the Freight Rail Assistance Program allow applicants to correct and add information to submitted applications.
Controversy has swirled around the loss of part of the Cheese Country Trail since July 2009, when the Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission (PRTC) voted to return a 4.5-mile stretch between Honey Creek Road and Patterson Road, just west of Monroe, back to the railroad.
Bob Voegeli from Green County ATV Club was happy to hear from Green County Supervisor Oscar Olson who called to tell him the news.
"That was a lot of money we were going to lose," Voegeli said Wednesday, on his way to Lafayette County for an ATV meeting in Darlington.
"We did a lot of running for it. We're going to keep it going now," he said.