Rep. Tranel authors Wisconsin Assembly bill for railroad tax credits

The new bill authored by State Rep. Travis Tranel aims to encourage investment in rail infrastructure by offering tax credits to certain railroads for modernization and maintenance expenses, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “a tax credit for rail infrastructure modernization. (FE)”.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes an income and franchise tax credit for railroads, classified as class II or class III by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, that incur expenditures on rail infrastructure modernization and railroad maintenance. The credit is set at 50% of the qualified short line railroad maintenance expenditures, capped at $5,000 per mile of track owned or leased, and 50% of the qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures, with a $2 million limit per project. The latter must be placed in service after Dec. 31, 2024. Entities such as partnerships, tax-option corporations, and LLCs cannot claim this credit directly, but they can compute the amount for their partners, shareholders, or members based on their expenditures. The Department of Revenue will approve up to $10 million in total credits for qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures annually, on a first-come, first-served basis, from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2034. Credits can be carried forward for up to five years if not fully used in the year they are claimed, and they may also be transferred to other taxpayers.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Romaine Robert Quinn (Republican-25th District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Bob G. Donovan (Republican-61st District), Representative Benjamin Franklin (Republican-88th District), Representative Rick Gundrum (Republican-58th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), and Senator Patrick Testin (Republican-24th District), along five other co-sponsors.

Travis Tranel has authored or co-authored another 16 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Tranel graduated from Loras College in 2007 with a BA.

Tranel, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2011 to represent the state’s 49th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Phil Garthwaite.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.