Senators hold forum about rail services in U.P. and Northern Wisconsin

MARQUETTE — Michigan State Senator Ed McBroom and Wisconsin Senator Tom Tiffany had a chance to listen from businesses that are having problems with rail service in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

The Senators want to know of the problems that businesses are having and present them to the rail companies. They are also looking for ideas and possible solutions that could benefit the future economies of these regions.

“We hear from a lot of area businesses and communities that would like to do more with rail,” explained Senator Ed McBroom, MI State Senator for 38th District. “It would relieve a lot of pressure from their road systems and would be really good for business. Yet a lot of businesses are finding it difficult to do this. So this hearing is to really generate discussions about what those difficulties are and to give us a better opportunity to work with the rail. This hearing will also help discussions with federal regulators on how we can make rail a more vibrant and an economic engine in this area.”

The Senators also want to make federal officials aware of the situation that is impacting these regions in both Michigan and Wisconsin.

Now with a large increase in manufacturing opportunities the rail system is capable of bringing a lot of economic gains to the region.

Two of the biggest players in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin regions that bring in money are Forest product industries and Mining. But Senator Ed Mcbroom says that there is many more options to utilize with rail services.

“There is a lot of other opportunities,” explained McBroom. “There is agriculture shipping, manufacture products, Finished Wood Products and a lot of other opportunities that need to be recognized.”