Chapter Trans 31
RAIL PASSENGER EXCURSIONS ON STATE-OWNED RAIL LINES
Trans 31.01 Purpose and applicability.
Trans 31.03 Permit requirement and application.
Trans 31.04 Contents of an application.
Trans 31.06 Advertising prior to receipt of a permit.
Trans 31.08 Audit and inspection.
Trans 31.01
Trans 31.01 Purpose and applicability. This chapter prescribes policies and procedures relating to applications for authority to operate rail passenger excursion trains on state-owned railroad lines. It also describes the procedures for requesting a permit to operate rail passenger excursion trains on state-owned railroad lines. This chapter does not apply to the operation of any railroad passenger train operated under STB authority or direction nor to the operation of customer specials by an operator.
Trans 31.01 History
History: Cr.
Register, June, 1995, No. 474, eff. 7-1-95; am.
Register, May, 1999, No. 521, eff. 6-1-99.
Trans 31.02(1)
(1) “Additional application" means a subsequent application for an additional excursion to be held during the same calendar year in which an applicant has applied for and obtained a permit to operate an excursion train by the same operator or sponsor.
Trans 31.02(1m)
(1m) “Applicant" means a person applying for a permit to operate a rail passenger excursion train on state-owned railroad lines under this chapter.
Trans 31.02(2)
(2) “BR&H" means the bureau of railroads and harbors within the department.
Trans 31.02(3)
(3) “Commission" means the municipal body which has received a grant from the department for the preservation of freight rail service and provides itself, or has contracted with an operator to provide, freight rail service on the line proposed to be used for operation of a rail passenger excursion train.
Trans 31.02(4)
(4) “Commuter train" means a short-haul rail passenger service operating in metropolitan and suburban areas, whether within or across the geographic boundaries of a state, usually characterized by reduced fare, multiple rides and commutation tickets and by morning and evening peak period operations.
Trans 31.02(5)
(5) “Customer special" means a train carrying persons, without a fee paid by any person, for the purpose of earning the goodwill of current and potential customers of the operator, for showing all or a portion of the state-owned railroad property to members of the commission or other government officials or for showing all or a portion of the state-owned railroad property to employees of the operator or members of their families.
Trans 31.02(6)
(6) “Department" means the Wisconsin department of transportation or any successor to that department charged by law with administering Wisconsin's railroad programs.
Trans 31.02(7)
(7) “Dinner train" means a train which is operated for the purpose of passenger recreation, including serving a meal for which a fee is paid by the passengers or any other person.
Trans 31.02(8)
(8) “Excursion train" means a train or a dinner train operated for pleasure or recreation which carries passengers for a fee, or any other vehicle operated on rails for pleasure or recreation regardless of whether passengers are carried or a fee is charged. “Excursion train" does not include customer specials, commuter trains, and trains operated by the national railroad passenger corporation.
Trans 31.02 Note
Note: Vehicles operated on rails for pleasure or recreation include railcars, railroad motorcars, railroad handcars, and railroad speeder cars.
Trans 31.02(9)
(9) “FRA" means the federal railroad administration of the United States department of transportation.
Trans 31.02(10)
(10) “Improved property" means the rails, joint bars, ties, ballast, bridges, culverts, drainage structures, and buildings acquired by the department, or by a commission with a grant from the department.
Trans 31.02(11)
(11) “Municipality" means a county, city, town, village or organization established under s.
66.0301, Stats.
Trans 31.02(12)
(12) “Operating agreement" means a contract between a commission and an operator providing for rail service on state-owned railroad property.
Trans 31.02(13)
(13) “Operator" means the person under contract to a commission to provide freight rail service on state-owned railroad property.
Trans 31.02(14)
(14) “Permittee" means the person who submits an application and who receives a permit.
Trans 31.02(15)
(15) “Person" means an individual, a partnership, an association, and bodies politic or corporate.
Trans 31.02(16)
(16) “Sponsor" means the person who shall earn any profit made by the excursion train or who shall suffer any loss incurred by the excursion train.
Trans 31.02(17)
(17) “State-owned railroad property" means improved property acquired by the department either on its own under authority of ss.
85.08 and
85.09, Stats., or in conjunction with a municipality under authority of s.
85.08, Stats.
Trans 31.02(18)
(18) “STB" means the federal surface transportation board, which has regulatory authority over railroads, or any other governmental agency that assumes its authority and responsibilities.
Trans 31.02 History
History: Cr.
Register, June, 1995, No. 474, eff. 7-1-95; renum. (1), (10) and (11) to be (1m), (11) and (12), cr. (1), (5m), (12) and (18), r. and recr. (8), r. (10),
Register, May, 1999, No. 521, eff. 6-1-99
; correction in (11) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2012 No. 675. Trans 31.03
Trans 31.03 Permit requirement and application. Trans 31.03(1)(1)
When required. No person may operate an excursion train on state-owned railroad property without first obtaining a permit issued by the department. An application for a permit shall be submitted to the department not less than 45 days prior to the date of the first planned operation.
Trans 31.03 Note
Note: Applications may be submitted to BR&H, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, P. O. Box 7914, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7914.
Trans 31.03(2)
(2) Who may submit. An application to operate an excursion train which uses state-owned railroad property shall only be submitted by the operator of the state-owned railroad property to be used for the proposed operation. If there is not an operator of the state-owned railroad property, the application shall be submitted by the sponsor of the excursion train to the department.
Trans 31.03(3)(a)1.1. Each application for a permit to operate an excursion train on state-owned railroad property shall be accompanied by an application fee of $300.
Trans 31.03(3)(a)2.
2. An application may request multiple dates and locations during a calendar year.
Trans 31.03(3)(b)
(b) Inspection fee. In addition to the application fee in
par. (a), each application for a permit to operate an excursion train on state-owned railroad property shall be accompanied by the inspection fee determined in accordance with the following schedule:
-
See PDF for table 
Trans 31.03(3)(c)
(c) Refunds of fees. The application fee is not refundable, even if a permit application is denied. The inspection fee shall be returned only if a permit is denied.
Trans 31.03(4)
(4) Additional applications. An additional application for extended operations during the same calendar year by the same operator or sponsor shall be accompanied by an additional application fee of $200 and an additional inspection fee for the additional days requested in the additional permit application.
Trans 31.03(5)(a)(a) BR&H shall review an application and notify the applicant of approval or denial of the application within 21 days following receipt of a complete application.
Trans 31.03(5)(b)
(b) An application may be denied for any one of the following reasons:
Trans 31.03(5)(b)1.
1. Submittal less than 21 days prior to the first planned operation of the excursion train.
Trans 31.03(5)(b)3.
3. Failure to comply with any of the standards or requirements prescribed in this chapter.
Trans 31.03(5)(b)5.
5. Proposing operation of an excursion train by a sponsor or operator with at least one prior violation of this chapter.
Trans 31.03(5)(c)
(c) BR&H may require additional information from an applicant to complete its review of an application. If an application is received at least 45 days prior to the date of the first planned operation, BR&H shall have 21 days from the receipt of the additional information to render its decision about the application.
Trans 31.03(5)(d)
(d) BR&H shall notify an applicant in writing of all deficiencies in an application, and the reasons for a denial.
Trans 31.03(6)(a)(a) An application which has been denied by BR&H in accordance with
sub. (5) (b) 1. may be resubmitted in compliance with this section.
Trans 31.03(6)(b)
(b) An application which has been denied by BR&H in accordance with
sub. (5) (b) 2. or
3. may be resubmitted with the additional information identified in BR&H's letter denying the original application.
Trans 31.03(6)(d)
(d) An additional application fee of $200, plus inspection fees, shall accompany a resubmitted application under this subsection.
Trans 31.03(7)
(7) Permit. The department shall issue an applicant a written permit for the proposed operation following its approval of an application. A copy of the permit shall be forwarded to the sponsor and commission as appropriate.
Trans 31.03(8)
(8) Duration. Any permit issued by the department shall expire on the date specified by BR&H. In no event shall a permit expire later than December 31 of the year in which the application proposes operation to commence.
Trans 31.03 History
History: Cr.
Register, June, 1995, No. 474, eff. 7-1-95; am. (1), (3) (b) and (4), renum. (3) (a) to be (3) (a) 1 and (9) to be (8), cr. (3) (a) 2., r. (5), renum. (6) to be (5) and am. (5) (a), (b) 1. and (c) and renum. and am. (7) and (8) to be (6) and (7),
Register, May, 1999, No. 521, eff. 6-1-99.
Trans 31.04(1)
(1) All applications for operation of an excursion train shall contain all of the following:
Trans 31.04(1)(a)
(a) The name and address of the sponsor and the name and daytime telephone and facsimile number of a representative of the sponsor.
Trans 31.04(1)(d)
(d) The number of trips to be conducted on each day proposed for operation from each loading point.
Trans 31.04(1)(e)
(e) The specific type of motive power for railroad equipment to be used, for example, steam, diesel or gas.
Trans 31.04(1)(f)
(f) The policy concerning advance sale of tickets, including cancellation and refund.
Trans 31.04(1)(h)
(h) A certified statement from the operator, or from the sponsor if there is not an operator, that states all of the following:
Trans 31.04(1)(h)1.
1. The track to be used is in compliance with the FRA track safety standards for class 1 track, or track rehabilitated to a higher standard.
Trans 31.04(1)(h)2.
2. All active grade-crossing warning devices are functional and can be operated by the equipment proposed to be used unless BR&H waives this requirement in writing on the permit.
Trans 31.04(1)(h)3.
3. All on-going track, signal and equipment inspections will be performed as required, and current FRA roadway worker safety rules are enforced at all times.
Trans 31.04(1)(h)4.
4. The equipment and bridges to be used are in compliance with applicable FRA requirements, state laws and this chapter.
Trans 31.04(1)(h)5.
5. Other powered or non-powered vehicles operating as excursion trains are in compliance with the North American railcar operators association latest book of rules, and motorcar inspection reports for each vehicle are available.
Trans 31.04(1)(i)
(i) A copy of the certificate of insurance evidencing general liability coverage in the minimum amount of $5 million. The certificate shall name the department and commission, if any, as additional insureds.
Trans 31.04 Note
Note: An operator may require additional insurance.
Trans 31.04(1)(j)
(j) A description of the sponsor's plans for handling all of the following:
Trans 31.04(1)(j)1.
1. Parking, including written authorization to use any publicly or privately-owned property.
