(The following story by Joe Taschler appeared on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website on August 24, 2010.)
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Union Pacific Railroad said Tuesday it will spend more than $9 million to improve the rail line from Milwaukee to near Lebanon in south-central Dodge County.
Work on two projects covering more than a 40-mile stretch of railroad track began Aug. 18 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of November, the Omaha-based transportation company said in a statement. The projects include removing and installing more than 33,000 ties, replacing the surfaces at 57 grade crossings and replacing nearly 24 miles of rail.
The track handles six freight trains per day and does not handle passenger traffic, said Mark Davis, a UP spokesman. The rail line continues from Lebanon across west central Wisconsin to the Twin Cities, where it interchanges with other Union Pacific tracks.
“This is an important line” for Wisconsin, said Mark Davis, a UP spokesman. In 2009, UP had more than 29,000 cars originate in Wisconsin, with nearly 85,000 terminating in the state. The railroad runs trains on 929 miles of track and employs 325 people in the state.