# Tomah Subdivision

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Railway line in Wisconsin

Tomah Subdivision Soo Line 6022, an EMD SD60, pulls a train through Wisconsin Dells on June 20, 2004. Overview Status Active Owner Canadian Pacific Kansas City Locale Wisconsin Termini La Crosse Portage Service Type Freight, passenger Operator(s) Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Amtrak History Commenced 1857 Completed 1876 Technical Line length 103 mi (166 km) Number of tracks 1–2 Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Route map v t e Legend south to CP/ICE Marquette Subdivision, north to River Subdivision 283.6 Bridge Switch (La Crescent) Minnesota Wisconsin Mississippi River Black River 282.1 West Wye Switch 281.2 La Crosse 280.0 Grand Crossing (BNSF Railway St. Croix Subdivision) 278.0 Medary 271.3 West Salem 265.0 Bangor 263.2 Rockland 255.5 Sparta 249.6 Fort McCoy tunnel 243.8 Tunnel City 392.1 to Wyeville (Union Pacific Railroad) 240.1 Tomah 237.0 Monroe to Wyeville (Union Pacific Railroad) 226.0 Camp Douglas 221.2 New Lisbon to Wisconsin Rapids (Canadian National Railway) 214.3 Mauston 211.0 Mile Creek 203.7 Lyndon Station 199.0 Kilbourn Wisconsin River 195.1 Wisconsin Dells 189.0 Lewiston 178.2 Portage east to Watertown Subdivision

The **Tomah Subdivision** or **Tomah Sub** is a [railway](/source/Railway) line that runs about 103 miles (166 km) from [La Crosse, WI](/source/La_Crosse%2C_Wisconsin) in the west to [Portage, WI](/source/Portage%2C_Wisconsin) in the east.

The line is operated by [Canadian Pacific Kansas City](/source/Canadian_Pacific_Kansas_City) through its [subsidiary](/source/Subsidiary), the [Soo Line Railroad](/source/Soo_Line_Railroad). The line crosses the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River) between [La Crescent, MN](/source/La_Crescent%2C_Minnesota) and La Crosse. Junctions in La Crescent lead to the [River Subdivision](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=River_Subdivision_(Canadian_Pacific)&action=edit&redlink=1) to the north and the Marquette Subdivision to the south. East of Portage, the rails continue as the [Watertown Subdivision](/source/Watertown_Subdivision).[1] [Interstate 90](/source/Interstate_90) runs roughly parallel to the rail line.

## History

Most of this segment of track was quickly built over the span of two years. The line was completed from Portage to [New Lisbon](/source/New_Lisbon%2C_Wisconsin) in 1857, and from New Lisbon to La Crosse in 1858. It took several more years for the crossing of the Mississippi River into [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) to take place, but that finally was completed in 1876.[2]

The Tomah Subdivision previously had been operated by the [Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad](/source/Chicago%2C_Milwaukee%2C_St._Paul_and_Pacific_Railroad) (Milwaukee Road). In 1935, the Milwaukee Road introduced the *[Hiawatha](/source/Twin_Cities_Hiawatha)* passenger train, which ran at high speed between [St. Paul](/source/Saint_Paul%2C_Minnesota) and [Chicago](/source/Chicago). Speeds were routinely over 100 mph, and with ATS in use between Portage and [Hastings, MN](/source/Hastings%2C_Minnesota), the Hiawatha had no speed limit. The [Soo Line Railroad](/source/Soo_Line_Railroad) took it over in 1986 before Canadian Pacific did so in the 1990s. CP amalgamated with the [Kansas City Southern Railway](/source/Kansas_City_Southern_Railway) on April 14, 2023, to form CPKC.

## Current usage

Today, [Amtrak](/source/Amtrak)'s *[Empire Builder](/source/Empire_Builder)* and *[Borealis](/source/Borealis_(train))* service use the CPKC between Chicago and St. Paul, but speed is limited to 79 miles per hour (127 km/h). Along this segment they stop in La Crosse, [Tomah](/source/Tomah%2C_Wisconsin), [Wisconsin Dells](/source/Wisconsin_Dells%2C_Wisconsin), and Portage. The *Empire Builder* has used the line since 1971, and the *Borealis* began service in 2024.

The [Union Pacific Railroad](/source/Union_Pacific_Railroad) has trackage rights from [Tunnel City, WI](/source/Tunnel_City%2C_Wisconsin) through La Crosse.[3] These date from the [Chicago and North Western](/source/Chicago_and_North_Western_Transportation_Company) reroute after the collapse of the CNW tunnel.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Don Winter. ["La Crescent to Portage"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144301/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Trunk%20Routes/Milwaukee%20Road%20Hiawatha%20Routes/Route%20Descriptions/La%20Crescent%20to%20Portage.htm). *Milwaukee Road Hiawatha Routes*. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-trainsmag-sept2010_2-0)** Matt Van Hatten (September 2010). "Map of the Month: Milwaukee Road growth". *Trains*. pp. 50–51.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Trains Hotspots:LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN](http://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/hotspots/2014/09/la-crosse-wisconsin). September 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Murray_4-0)** Tom Murray. [*Chicago & North Western Railway*](https://books.google.com/books?id=yuCjrsnEykUC&pg=PA18). Voyageur Press. pp. 18–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-61673-154-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-61673-154-0).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tomah Subdivision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomah_Subdivision) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomah_Subdivision?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.