(The Associated Press circulated the following on October 9.)
NEW YORK — Mississippi Department of Transportation officials say about 130 crossings have been upgraded on Kansas City Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern Corporation and CSX Transportation lines.
Of 55 crossings that were candidates for closures on the KCS, CSX and NS lines, 40 have been closed with the remainder of those crossings expected to be closed in the near future.
Since 2000, MDOT has spent about $22 million and the railroad companies have spent nearly $7 million on highway-rail crossing projects.
MDOT says statistics released by the Federal Railroad Administration show Mississippi to be the national leader in reducing highway-rail collision fatalities, dropping from 13 in 2006 to three in 2007.