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Central Corridors--Wisconsin Central Group

News Archive

Escanaba Meeting 3/16/2017, Consensus Outline

April 11, 2017 No Comments

A diverse group of Great Lakes Forests Region freight rail stakeholders met at Weyerhauser’s Escanaba, MI office on 3/16/2017. The meeting was hosted by Michigan Forest Products Council and included stakeholder members of Wisconsin Paper Council and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. The product of these discussions and follow-up comments from Escanaba 3/16/2017 Invitees/Attendees is a Consensus Outline. In coming weeks, a focus group will proceed with refining priorities for WCGroup’s Action Agenda 2017.

Northwoods Branch Lines, Short Lines, Preservation Options

September 25, 2015 No Comments

At the invitation of the Northwoods Rail Transit Commission meeting, September 25, 2015, WCGroup presented “Branch Lines, Short Lines, Preservation Options.” WCGroup emphasized commitment to working collaboratively with CN to assure lines in the Great Lakes Forests Region operate as an integrated “system.” WCGroup reiterated that it believes a railroad “system” is the better path – likely the only practicable path – to positive outcomes for restoration of competitive, sustainable freight rail service for the Region.

Competition in the Railroad Industry -Congressional Mandate to Surface Transportation Board

September 25, 2015 No Comments

For our Region, rail competitiveness for non-captive, truck-competitive freight – not only competitiveness of our serving railroads but also their Class I connections – is critical. Among the Class I, CN appears to be one of the more experienced and committed to competing for the variety of commodities, including merchandise freight, involved in the retail railroad our Region needs. The suggested mandate to STB is intended to bring this field of competitiveness to the attention of all of the North American Class Is and their shortline partners.

Upcoming CN/WCGroup Intermodal and Log Committee Meetings

May 15, 2014 No Comments

The Intermodal Committee will meet on 6/4/2014 in Appletion at the D.J. Bordini Center, Fox Valley Technical College. The Committee meeting will be held following “WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com: Future of Transportaton II,” featuring U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, vice chair of the House Highways Subcommittee. Rep. Ribble is expected to joing the Intermodal Committee with welcoming remarks regarding interest in the Cn/WCGroup “collaborative” process. The Log Committee will meet on 6/5/2014 in Green Bay.

2nd Bi-Annual Great Lakes Forestry Policy Conference June 24, 2013

July 18, 2013 No Comments

The Conference, hosted by U.S. Congressmen Dan Benishek (MI-1), Sean Duffy (WI-7) and Reid Ribble (WI-8), at Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel, Wabeno, WI, drew some 285 registered participants. The panel on “Timber Transportation Issues” moderated by Congressman Ribble, featured: Tom Tisa, Canadian National’s Director, Network Strategies; DJ Aderman, President, Futurewood Corp. (affiliated with Johnson Timber); and Jake Hayrynen, Forest Products Manager, JM Longyear, LLC. The three panelists serve on the Canadian National Advisory Board. Futurewood and Longyear also serve on the CN/WCGroup Log Committee. The Log Committee is dedicated to dramatically expanding rail transportation of the products of the Great Lakes Forests and, thus, their competitiveness in local national and export markets. More

Northwoods Rail Transit Commission — WisDOT Economic Study, Meeting Upcoming 7/26/2013

July 18, 2013 No Comments

We expect to submit a request for approval of NRTC’s “Restated Articles of Organization and Interstate Cooperation Agreement” to Governor Walker and Attorney General Van Hollen in advance of NRTC’s meeting 7/26/2013. WMC TransCom’s assisted, pro bono, in developing the legal documents to extend NRTC that organizational work related to adding Michigan counties to the NRTC membership may proceed approval. For more see the News Archive post from July 18, 2013.

CN Advisory Board, Intermodal Committee Activity

July 18, 2013 No Comments

On July 8, 2013, the CN Advisory Board met at Lake Geneva (with several members participating via call-in service provided by WMC). CN provided updates on development of its customer service capabilities, advancement of work on the Whitehall subdivision and relationships of these and other developments to agendas of the CN/WCGroup working committees. For more see News Archive post from July 18, 2013.

CN/WCGroup Collaboration – Busy Start to 2014

July 18, 2013 No Comments

Zoom. From our January CN Advisory Board meeting it has been fast forward through filing of an $18 million TIGER VI grant application for a Great Lakes Forest Log Car Fleet at the end of April. For more information see News Archive post May 15, 2014.

CN and WCGroup Will Participate in Forestry Conference, 6/24/2013

June 3, 2013 No Comments

U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek (MI-1), Sean Duffy (WI-7), and Reid Ribble (WI-8) will host the event at Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel in Wabeno, Wisconsin, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference goal is to highlight current policies that impact forestry and discuss opportunities that will allow better utilization forest resources across the three congressional districts. Rep. Ribble will moderate the panel on “Timber Transportation Issues” including Tom Tisa, CN’s Director, Network Strategies and Chair of the CN Advisory Board, along with Board members and WCGroup participants, D.J. Aderman, President, Futurewood Corp., and Jake Hayrynen, Forest Products Manager, JM Longyear. For more see News Archive post June 3, 2013.

Upcoming for CN Advisory Board, Log and Intermodal Working Committees

June 1, 2013 No Comments

The CN Advisory Board will meet at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2013, at the Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, WI, immediately ahead of the 2013 Summer Meeting of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers. The CN/WCGroup Log and Intermodal Working Committees are expected to hold initial meetings this month.

Postcard of saw mill at Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin.
Swing bridge Duck Creek, Wisconsin. Photo by Nels Hrdlicka.
Abandoned Milwaukee Road branch line near Eagle, Wisconsin. Photo by Paul Berweiler.
Postcard of ELS DS-4-4-1000 #204 with a short westbound freight passing beneath the Soo Line at Wells, Michigan.