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Kansas City Southern recently reached a three-year agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to improve safety at 75 public grade crossings located on more than 100 track miles.

Each year, MoDOT will spend about $800,000 and KCS, $200,000 to improve or close crossings. Upgrades would include installing crossbucks, flashers and gate warnings, or new circuits.

"Corridor projects speed up what would normally be a lengthy process to enhance warning levels at crossings or to seek crossing closures," said Allen Pepper, KCS director of public safety, in a prepared statement. "By combining railroad and state resources, our efforts go a lot farther."

The KCS partnership is MoDOT's fifth rail corridor agreement.

"Upon completion of this project, we will have evaluated and taken steps to ensure that every public crossing in these corridors has adequate warning devices for the particular type of vehicle and train traffic for each crossing, using the latest possible data for each crossing," said Rodney Massman, MoDOT administrator of railroads.