JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The fatal collision and derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief appears to have spurred action by officials in Missouri to address grade-crossing safety.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking $50 million from the state’s general budget to address grade-crossing improvements. Currently, the state budgets about $1.5 million annually from state licensing fees for rail safety, and receives about $6 million annually from the federal government.
The current level of funding improves about 20 crossings per year. The state has more than 1,400 crossings without any gates or warning lights; it would cost about $700 million to equip all of them and, at current funding, take about 23 years.
“Our increased request is needed to be able to more quickly address these improvements,” state DOT spokeswoman Linda Horn told the newspaper.
The June 27 accident near Mendon, Mo., occurred when the Chief hit a truck at a grade crossing and derailed, killing the truck driver and three passengers. The Kansas City Star subsequently reported the unprotected crossing at Porche Prairie Road had been on a list of locations recommended to receive crossing gates and lights [see “Site of Southwest Chief accident had been recommended …,” Trains News Wire, June 28, 2022]
Not all the unprotected rail crossings in Missouri qualify for any special treatment. The crossing railroad may only have one, perhaps 2 trains a week at 30mph or less.
Instead they would prioritize the ones with passenger service, or contain ones with frequent and higher speed freight movements.
After Illinois raised their Amtrak speeds south of Bloomington, accidents between Funks Grove and McLean went up. They finally installed 4 post crossing guards. They almost put up a rising chain fence, it was getting so bad.
In 23 yrs there won’t be any RR’s by then they’ll have died from self inflicted wounds.
$ 60 M ? That might install ~~ 400 – 500 crossings? IMO the Chief’s accident location would not be in that higher priority. However, for political reason it might get crossing protection with the crossing NE of the Chief’s accident site will not.
Missouri’s math is off. With a $700M backlog and only 7.5M in annual funding, it would take 93, not 23, years to equip all the crossings.