Rail line between Fitchburg and Oregon to be restored

A $2.3 million grant from the state Department of Transportation will restore and reactivate a 10-mile rail line between McCoy Road in Fitchburg and West Netherwood Road in Oregon. The line, which is owned by both Fitchburg and Oregon, will be of particular importance to Lycon, Inc., which is building a new cement plant in Oregon and must receive raw materials by rail, not truck, according to an agreement with the city. Oregon officials expect as many as three trains a week during peak production times. The grant includes a $286,500 loan to Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, which operates the rail line. Work on the track could begin this fall.