Video: Six Columbus Railroad Crossings Closing Soon?

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Kansas City Southern wants to close 6 railroad crossings in the city of Columbus. It would save the railroad money, but it could make it harder for folks to get around on the Southside of town.

Dozens of concerned citizens packed the Columbus Municipal Complex Thursday night. They anxiously raised their hands for or against proposed railroad closings, as Columbus Mayor Robert Smith looked on. City leaders want to know how the public feels.

“My big thing is why can’t they just put railroad crossings if those are the busiest ones and those are the streets they’re going to leave open. Why not put the safety gates there and leave the rest open?” said concerned citizen Helen Pridmore.

“If this goes though, closing all 6 crossings it’s going to be even more hazardous for emergency response to get across,” added concerned citizen Bessie Pruitt.

One upside, closed crossings are quiet crossings, and that could improve the quality of life.

“Noise of the trains is annoying to a large number of people in proximity to the tracks and it interferes with the quality of life,” said citizen Joe Boggess.

Public Safety Director of Kansas City Southern Railway, Allen Pepper thinks they’ve come up with a good plan. The Railroad will improve the crossings that are left open.

“There’s people on both sides here and I understand that, there always are in a big plan like this. It’s 12 crossings we’re reducing it to 6 making them safer as far as flashers and gates,” said Allen Pepper.

Pepper says if the plan goes through improvements on the remaining crossings will begin as soon as the six crossings are closed. Flasher and gate installations would happen as soon as next year.

“When you have a crossing, you have an infrastructure there, you hate to as a constituent see it closed because it tells them it’s negative progress and so in this case the proposal out there for the program that’s available,” said Engineer Kevin Stafford.

In the meantime, Friendly City Leaders have plenty to think about.
Additional concerns include increased traffic at the crossings that are left open.