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The state of Wisconsin and Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. (WSOR) recently initiated negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad to purchase about 50 miles of track between Madison and Reedsburg, Wis. If the state purchases the line from the Class I, it would be responsible for the entire land cost and 80 percent of rail infrastructure costs; WSOR would operate the line. The remaining rail infrastructure costs would be covered by federal, county, municipal and private industry funds.

A 22-mile section of the track from Merrimac to Reedsburg runs through Sauk County. So, the Sauk County Development Corp. and University of Wisconsin-Extension in Sauk County partnered to develop an economic impact study on the importance of rail to the county.

The recently released “2011 Sauk County Rail Economic Impact Analysis” identifies 2,972 jobs that are dependent on rail users and associated supply-chain companies within the county. The study also shows that $152 million in labor income would be lost if rail ceased to exist in Sauk County, according to WSOR.

In addition, a survey of 10 area rail shippers conducted by the study's developers showed that seven of the companies claimed rail is very important or important to their business, and five said it would be very difficult or difficult to shift their freight from rail to truck.