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The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. (WSOR) has another funding plan in the hands of state officials. Earlier this month, the 700-mile regional presented a “Rail Restoration 15” plan to Gov. Jim Doyle and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation under which the railroad proposes to receive state funds to restore rail service on several abandoned lines and mitigate rail traffic concerns in Washington County.

Also known as “RR15,” the plan calls for WSOR to receive $15 million in state funds each year over the course of the next two biennial budgets, or a total of $60 million. Private and other public funding sources would provide a total of $16 million over the four years.

RR15’s key projects include restoring service on 11 track miles between Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls; restoring service on a total of 62 track miles from Monroe to Mineral Point, including a branch line to Shullsburg; and completing congestion and safety mitigation projects at Rugby Junction.

RR15 is a separate measure from WSOR’s proposed “8+3 Plan,” which will be before the state’s legislature for the upcoming 2007/2009 biennial budget. Under the 8+3 Plan, the railroad would receive $8 million per year in state funding for rail infrastructure upgrades and $3 million annually for acquisitions.