Commuter rail to get county test

Four-day trial run to be later this year

Commuter rail will get a trial run in Dane County this year.

A four-day test is planned for August or September to gauge interest in commuter rail service, according to Rodney Kreunen, state railroad commissioner.

The test train will connect Middleton and the Monona Terrace Convention Center in  Madison. Kruenen said the test might run from Thursday through Sunday on a football weekend. The train would serve Camp Randall and possibly a Kohl center event.

"I think it's clearly evident at this point that no matter what efforts are made to provide more parking at the Kohl Center, we have a traffic problem," he said.

Kreunen said the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co., a freight rail carrier, has offered to provide the equipment. He said the test will not include the East Side because the existing  track needs repair.

Kreunen said the cost of a test run could be more than $20,000.

He said a separate test might be scheduled if Madison can get a Regio-Sprinter, a light diesel-powered train made by Siemens Corp., for a few days. Some people believe the European-made locomotive would be ideal for a Madison system. The cost of renting a Regio-Sprinter is about $6,000 a day.

Dane County Sup. Scott McDonell, 4th District, Madison, said the county has $30,000 in the budget that can be used for a rail test. He said that money could be supplemented by private donations.

McDonell, who is chairman of the Dane County Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Committee, said it might be difficult to get a Regio-Sprinter locomotive to Madison but the two tests would allow riders to compare the two technologies.

"It's going to build up enthusiasm for the idea," he said.

Preliminary results of a study by Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas of Milwaukee indicate 16,000 riders a day could use a Madison commuter rail system.

The study proposes a 14-station, $100 million system with a start-up line on existing track that would connect East Towne Mall and Middleton's Greenway Center. Eventually, the line could connect Mazomanie and Sun Prairie.

The consultant's final report is due in June.

After a trial, Kruenen said, the next step would be legislative approval of a regional transit authority for the Madison area. A transit authority would incorporate the Madison Metro bus system.

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