Re-Opening of Ex-C&NW Line in Fitchburg and Oregon 9/29/2014

When a rail line goes out of service, the general assumption is usually that it will be abandoned for good. The former Chicago and Northwestern line between Madison and Evansville last saw a train in October, 1996 when the last Union Pacific train ran from Madison to Janesville. The city of Fitchburg and the village of Oregon came together to buy the line from UP rather than allow it to be abandoned. On Monday, September 29th, 2014, their efforts paid off when the first train ran to the new Lycon ready-mix plant on the north side of Oregon. HighIronofWisconsin Productions was there to cover this rare and historic event. 30th Anniversary SD40-2 WSOR 4030 led the inaugural run. This is actually the second of three long-dormant rail lines or line segments in Wisconsin to be returned to service. A section of the old Soo Line in northern Wisconsin reopened in 2012 to serve a sand mine at Poskin, and another ex-C&NW line, between Plymouth and Sheboygan in eastern Wisconsin, is a work in progress with service also to be provided by WSOR.