SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                     Date of Report (Date of earliest event
                                   reported):
                                  July 26, 2004


                              KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN
               (Exact name of company as specified in its charter)


         DELAWARE                    1-4717                    44-0663509
--------------------------    ---------------------    ------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction    (Commission file            (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)                number)          Identification Number)


                427 West 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105
                -------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)


                Company's telephone number, including area code:
                                (816) 983 - 1303


                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address if changed since last report)









<PAGE>


Item 5.  Other Events

Kansas City Southern  ("KCS" or "Company")  announced  that Robert J. Druten has
been  elected to its board of directors  effective as of July 26, 2004.  See the
Press Release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 for further information.



Item 7.          Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

                 Exhibit No.     Document
                 (99)            Additional Exhibits

                 99.1            Press Release issued by Kansas City Southern
                                 dated July 26, 2004 entitled, "Robert J. Druten
                                 Elected to Kansas City Southern's Board of
                                 Directors," is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1































<PAGE>




SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company
has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
hereunto duly authorized.


                                          Kansas City Southern


Date: July 28, 2004            By:           /s/ Ronald G. Russ
                              -------------------------------------------
                                                 Ronald G. Russ
                           Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer



<PAGE>


EXHIBIT 99.1

     KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN                                          PRESS RELEASE
     Cathedral Square - 427 West 12th Street - P.O. Box 219335
     Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9335                          NYSE SYMBOL: KSU

     Date:        July 26, 2004

     Media Contact:        Doniele Kane, 816-983-1372 or doniele.c.kane@kcsr.com


      Robert J. Druten Elected to Kansas City Southern's Board of Directors

     Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE:  KSU) announced that Robert J. Druten has
been elected to its board of directors, effective as of today.

     Mr. Druten currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial
officer of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the world's largest publisher of greeting cards
and related products. He serves on the company's corporate executive council. He
is also a member of the board of  directors  of Crown  Media  Holdings,  Inc. In
addition,  Mr. Druten is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of  Entertainment
Properties Trust and a member of the board of directors of BHA Group, Inc.

     "KCS is pleased that Mr. Druten has agreed to bring his extensive financial
expertise to our board of  directors,"  said Michael R.  Haverty,  KCS chairman,
president  and chief  executive  officer.  "His diverse  background in financial
management and accounting will be an asset to KCS."

     "I am  honored to have been  invited  to join the KCS board of  directors,"
said Mr.  Druten.  "I look forward to working  with the other board  members and
management in the future."

     KCS is a  transportation  holding company that has railroad  investments in
the U.S.,  Mexico and Panama.  Its primary  holding is The Kansas City  Southern
Railway Company, which serves customers in the central and south central regions
of the U.S. KCS' rail holdings and investments are primary components of a NAFTA
Railway system that links the  commercial  and  industrial  centers of the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico.

                                      # # #
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "newdirector8k.txt", "description": "NEW BOARD OF DIRECTOR 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4686}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN", "cik": "0000054480", "assigned-sic": "4011", "irs-number": "440663509", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-04717", "film-number": "04936059"}, "business-address": {"street1": "427 WEST 12TH STREET", "city": "KANSAS CITY", "state": "MO", "zip": "64105", "phone": "8169831303"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "427 WEST 12TH STREET", "city": "KANSAS CITY", "state": "MO", "zip": "64105"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES INC", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                     Date of Report (Date of earliest event
                                   reported):
                                  July 26, 2004

                              KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN
               (Exact name of company as specified in its charter)

         DELAWARE                    1-4717                    44-0663509
--------------------------    ---------------------    ------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction    (Commission file            (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)                number)          Identification Number)

                427 West 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105
                -------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                Company's telephone number, including area code:
                                (816) 983 - 1303

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address if changed since last report)
Item 5.  Other Events

Kansas City Southern  ("KCS" or "Company")  announced  that Robert J. Druten has
been  elected to its board of directors  effective as of July 26, 2004.  See the
Press Release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 for further information.

Item 7.          Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

                 Exhibit No.     Document
                 (99)            Additional Exhibits

                 99.1            Press Release issued by Kansas City Southern
                                 dated July 26, 2004 entitled, "Robert J. Druten
                                 Elected to Kansas City Southern's Board of
                                 Directors," is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1
SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company
has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
hereunto duly authorized.

                                          Kansas City Southern

Date: July 28, 2004            By:           /s/ Ronald G. Russ
                              -------------------------------------------
                                                 Ronald G. Russ
                           Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
EXHIBIT 99.1

     KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN                                          PRESS RELEASE
     Cathedral Square - 427 West 12th Street - P.O. Box 219335
     Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9335                          NYSE SYMBOL: KSU

     Date:        July 26, 2004

     Media Contact:        Doniele Kane, 816-983-1372 or doniele.c.kane@kcsr.com

      Robert J. Druten Elected to Kansas City Southern's Board of Directors

     Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE:  KSU) announced that Robert J. Druten has
been elected to its board of directors, effective as of today.

     Mr. Druten currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial
officer of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the world's largest publisher of greeting cards
and related products. He serves on the company's corporate executive council. He
is also a member of the board of  directors  of Crown  Media  Holdings,  Inc. In
addition,  Mr. Druten is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of  Entertainment
Properties Trust and a member of the board of directors of BHA Group, Inc.

     "KCS is pleased that Mr. Druten has agreed to bring his extensive financial
expertise to our board of  directors,"  said Michael R.  Haverty,  KCS chairman,
president  and chief  executive  officer.  "His diverse  background in financial
management and accounting will be an asset to KCS."

     "I am  honored to have been  invited  to join the KCS board of  directors,"
said Mr.  Druten.  "I look forward to working  with the other board  members and
management in the future."

     KCS is a  transportation  holding company that has railroad  investments in
the U.S.,  Mexico and Panama.  Its primary  holding is The Kansas City  Southern
Railway Company, which serves customers in the central and south central regions
of the U.S. KCS' rail holdings and investments are primary components of a NAFTA
Railway system that links the  commercial  and  industrial  centers of the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico.

                                      # # #