By Walter Weart

Millions of motorists, pedestrians and trains cross paths at more than 100,000 U.S. grade crossings each day. To prevent accidents at busy junctures, railroads continue to push the three "E's" — education, enforcement and engineering. Their three-pronged efforts paid off during most of 2009: Through September, total U.S. crossing incidents declined 22.8 percent to 1,379 compared with data from the same 2008 period, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Railroads are seeking ways to further reduce incidents in 2010 and beyond. Although each "E" component remains critical to achieving that goal, they're making strides on the engineering side of the equation.

For example, the Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) now uses dual entrance gates at 50 locations to "completely lock down" a crossing entrance where raised medians either exist or can be installed, said Doniele Kane, a spokesperson for KCSR parent Kansas City Southern, in an email.

"Some of these we handle with just two gates, some with two gates on the outside and two standard flashers on the islands, and some with four gates, including two on the outside and two on the islands," she said.

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