Wisconsin & Southern expands workforce to keep pace with escalating traffic

Wisconsin & Southern Railroad L.L.C. (WSOR) last month announced it's registered a significant traffic increase throughout southern Wisconsin over the past 18 months, including in Madison and Dane County.

Global and national economic forces, rising energy prices, a robust customer base in Dane and Rock counties, and overall strong demand is propelling the railroad's traffic, WSOR officials said in a press release.

Carloads have increased more than 15 percent in Rock County and about 10 percent in Dane County since early 2012. The railroad's fastest-growing commodities include plastics, grain, food-grade products and aggregates, WSOR officials said.

"In order to keep pace with this demand, [we have] hired 33 new people in train service that will help us maintain service to our growing customer base," said WSOR Director of Government Relations Ken Lucht.

The railroad hired 17 people for its Madison terminal and 16 for its Janesville terminal to help maintain service requirements for 19 local businesses that move about 800,000 tons of freight annually, WSOR officials said.

Owned by the Watco Cos. L.L.C., WSOR operates 700 miles of track in southcentral Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. The regional maintains terminal offices in Madison, Janesville and Horicon, Wis.