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Office of the Commissioner of Railroads
Railroad regulatory agency in Wisconsin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Office of the Commissioner of Railroads is the independent regulatory agency responsible for regulating railroads located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.[1]
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Agency overview | |
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Jurisdiction | Wisconsin |
Headquarters | 4822 Madison Yards Way; Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7854 |
Agency executive |
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Website | http://ocr.wi.gov |
The commissioner was originally much involved in fare setting for the railroads in Wisconsin. The Office of the Commissioner of Railroads is now largely focused on issues of safety. It is the state agency with primary responsibility for making determinations of the adequacy of warning devices at railroad crossings, along with other railroad related regulations. These duties include:
- Installation of new highway/rail crossings
- Alteration of existing crossings
- Closing or consolidating existing crossings
- Repair of rough crossings
- Determining adequate railroad fences and
- Exemptions from railroad track clearance laws
The commissioner's office consists of one full-time commissioner appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Wisconsin State Senate for a six-year term.[2] The current commissioner is Don Vruwink. The commissioner is assisted by a staff of four, as of January 29, 2021.[3]