Wis. Stat. § 191.01: General provisions.

(1) Scope of this chapter. This chapter applies to all railroads.

(2) Construction, certificate from office prerequisite. No railroad corporation shall begin the construction of any proposed line of railroad in this state until it shall have obtained from the office a certificate that public convenience and a necessity require the construction of the railroad, and the certificate shall constitute the license from this state to the company to build its proposed railroad.