1996 in rail transport
Encyclopedia
January events
- January 6 - A computer-controlled Washington MetroWashington MetroThe Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
train overruns the platform at the Shady Grove station, colliding with a parked train and fatally injuring the operator.
February events
- February 4 - The first two British passenger train operating companiesTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
begin operation of their service franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
s as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
: South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
(part of the Stagecoach GroupStagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
) and Great Western TrainsGreat Western TrainsGreat Western Trains was a UK train company created in the mid 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of the first two passenger companies to be privatised, passing into private ownership along with South West Trains on 4 February 1996....
(management buyoutManagement buyoutA management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
). - February 10 - Woodlands Extension of the North SouthNorth South MRT LineThe North South Line was the 1st Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore. The line is currently 44 km long with 25 stations, and is operated by SMRT Corporation...
MRTMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
LineNorth South MRT LineThe North South Line was the 1st Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore. The line is currently 44 km long with 25 stations, and is operated by SMRT Corporation...
in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
opened, added 6 new stations to the current network. - February 19 - Approximately 1000 passengers are trapped in the Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
when two EurostarEurostarEurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
trains break down due to electronic failures caused by snow and ice. - February 24 - The three British trainload freight companies, Load-HaulLoad-HaulLoadhaul Ltd. was a railfreight operator based in the north-east of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1994, prior to the privatisation of British Rail...
, Mainline FreightMainline FreightMainline Freight was a trainload railfreight operator based in Islington, London England with operations extending to Yorkshire in the north and Somerset in the west...
and Trans-RailTrans-RailTransrail Freight Ltd. was a trainload railfreight operator based in South West England, Wales, the North West and Scotland. It was formed in 1994 prior to the privatisation of British Rail...
, are acquired together by North & South Railways Ltd, an affiliate of Wisconsin Central Ltd, as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
.
March events
- March 4 - Weyauwega, Wisconsin derailment: A Wisconsin Central freight train derails on a broken switch in Weyauwega, WisconsinWeyauwega, WisconsinWeyauwega is a city in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,806 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within the Town of Weyauwega, though it is politically independent. Small portions extend north into the adjacent Town of Royalton...
. The derailment forces the evacuation of the entire town until March 20 while fire crews work to control the resulting blaze. - March 15 - AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
selects the "American Flyer" design developed by BombardierBombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and AlstomAlstomAlstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, based on the TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains of France, as the design model for its Acela ExpressAcela ExpressThe Acela Express is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York...
rolling stock. - March 18 - SNCFSNCFThe SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
begins a construction project to renew the track ballastTrack ballastTrack ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
on the Paris-LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
line; the project is expected to last through 2006. - March 28 - Muzha Line of TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
Mass Rapid TransitTaipei Rapid Transit SystemThe Taipei Metro, more commonly known as the MRT or formally as the Taipei Rapid Transit System, is a rapid transit system serving metropolitan Taipei in Taiwan. The system is built and operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation and consists of 89 stations and of revenue track...
, one of the first rapid transit lines of TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, opens. - March – Government of GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
suspends operation on the entire 885 km (549.9 mi) Ferrocarriles de Guatemala network.
April events
- April 14 - The British trainload freight company North & South Railways Ltd becomes EWSDB Schenker Rail (UK)DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
. - April 21 - The Jokela rail accident, a derailment in thick fog, kills 4 in TuusulaTuusulaTuusula is a municipality of Finland. It belongs to the Helsinki sub-region of the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of .-Geography:...
, Finland. - April 27 - Toyo Rapid Railway LineToyo Rapid Railway LineThe is a commuter rail line owned by Tōyō Rapid Railway Co., Ltd., that runs between Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi City, Chiba and Tōyō-Katsutadai Station in Yachiyo City, Chiba. The name means 東京 and 千葉 ....
, Nishi-FunabashiNishi-Funabashi Stationis a railway station in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company , Tokyo Metro, and the Tōyō Rapid Railway. It is the eastern-most station of the Tokyo subway network, lying in Chiba prefecture.-Lines:...
and KatsutadaiToyo-Katsutadai Stationis a terminal railway station operated by Tōyō Rapid Railway's Tōyō Rapid Railway Line located in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 16.2 kilometers from the opposing terminus of the Tōyō Rapid Railway Line at Nishi-Funabashi Station. -History:...
route open in Chiba PrefectureChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan. - April 28 - Further British train operating companiesTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
begin operation of their passenger service franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
s as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
: Gatwick ExpressGatwick ExpressGatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
and Midland MainlineMidland MainlineMidland Mainline was a British train operating company owned by the National Express Group and based in Derby. It was created after the privatisation of British Rail. Midland Mainline services operated from April 1996 to November 2007....
(both National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
) and Great North Eastern RailwayGreat North Eastern RailwayGreat North Eastern Railway was a British train operating company, owned by Sea Containers Ltd. It operated high-speed express train services on the East Coast Main Line from 1996 until 9 December 2007 when the franchise was taken over by National Express East Coast.GNER's primary service routes...
(Sea Containers Ltd).
May events
- May 4 – Purchase by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern RailroadDakota, Minnesota and Eastern RailroadThe Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad is a Class II railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the northern plains of the United States...
of the former Chicago and North Western Railway branch lineBranch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s from Rapid City, South DakotaRapid City, South DakotaRapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
to Colony, Wyoming and Crawford, NebraskaCrawford, NebraskaCrawford is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1886 and was named for the late Captain Emmet Crawford who had previously been stationed at nearby Fort Robinson.-Geography:...
becomes effective. - May 12 - The Green LineGreen Line (Chicago Transit Authority)The Green Line is part of the CTA rapid transit system known as the Chicago 'L'. It is the only completely elevated route in the 'L' system. It utilizes the system's oldest segments , extending with 29 stops between Forest Park and Oak Park , through Chicago's Loop, to the South Side and Englewood...
of the CTAChicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
elevated and subway rail system, returns to service after a $400 million, 2½-year reconstruction period. Many station facilities were still incomplete, while several other stations were closed indefinitely. - May 17 - Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's Beachburg Subdivision between PembrokePembroke, OntarioPembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
and NipissingNipissing, OntarioNipissing is a township in central Ontario, Canada, on Lake Nipissing in Parry Sound District. Nipissing was surveyed between 1874 and 1881, and was incorporated in 1888. Among the first settlers in the area were the Chapman and Beatty families. Nipissing village annexed Gurd Township in 1970...
, 126 miles ( km) of track which traversed Algonquin Provincial ParkAlgonquin Provincial ParkAlgonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
, is officially abandoned. - May 20 - The British railway infrastructure management company, RailtrackRailtrackRailtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
, is privatisedPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, being floated on the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock ExchangeThe London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
with shares worth 360p. - May 26 - Further British train operating companiesTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
begin operation of their passenger service franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
s in England as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
: Connex South CentralConnex South CentralConnex South Central was a short-lived train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group, and operated under the Connex brand between October 1996 until mid-2001....
and LTS RailC2cc2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
(a subsidiary of Prism RailPrism RailPrism Rail was established in 1995 to acquire passenger rail franchises being made available under the Government's rail privatisation programme. It bid for 17 franchises, was shortlisted for 12 and was ultimately awarded 4, which were LTS Rail, Wales and West, WAGN and Valley Lines Trains.Of the...
).
June events
- June 2 - First part of the BelgianBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
High Speed line (HSL 1HSL 1The HSL 1 is a Belgian high speed rail line which connects Brussels with LGV Nord at the border with France. It is long with 71 km of dedicated high-speed tracks and 17 km of modernised lines. Service began on 14 December 1997....
, from AntoingAntoingAntoing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Hainaut. It consists of the former municipalities of Antoing, Maubray, Péronnes-lez-Antoing, Bruyelle, Calonne and Fontenoy.-History:...
to the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Border) put into service, continuing the French LGV NordLGV NordThe LGV Nord is a French 333-kilometre long high speed rail line, opened in 1993, that connects Paris to the Belgian border and the Channel Tunnel via Lille....
. - June 26 - The Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay RailroadBay Line RailroadThe Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama, including a branch from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama, reached via trackage rights on CSX's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan and Grimes...
and the A&G RailroadBay Line RailroadThe Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama, including a branch from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama, reached via trackage rights on CSX's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan and Grimes...
merge to form the Bay Line RailroadBay Line RailroadThe Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama, including a branch from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama, reached via trackage rights on CSX's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan and Grimes...
.
July events
- July 21 - British train operating companyTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
Chiltern RailwaysChiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
begins operation of its passenger service franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
in England as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, following a management buyoutManagement buyoutA management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
. - July 24 - The Dehiwala train bombing carried out by the LTTELiberation Tigers of Tamil EelamThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
kills 64 people. - July 27 - Ron Burns becomes president of Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. - July 28 - The Talleyrand Terminal RailroadTalleyrand Terminal RailroadThe Talleyrand Terminal Railroad is a short line terminal railroad run by Rail Link, Inc., a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It serves the Jacksonville Port Authority and tenants with over ten miles of track. It has only one main line, running west from the Tallyrand Marine Terminal on the St...
(a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc.) begins operations in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. - July 31 - Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
makes the last run of a grain load in a 40 ft (12.2 m) boxcarBoxcarA boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
with the final deliveries of grain to Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. - July 31 - The first low-floorAccessibilityAccessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
light rail car in North America is received (from its manufacturer, SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
) by Portland, Oregon'sPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
TriMetTriMetTriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
.
August events
- August 19 - MetraMetraMetra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
's North Central ServiceNorth Central ServiceThe North Central Service is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the North Central Service line are printed in light "Soo...
commuter rail line begins operations on the Milwaukee District/West LineMilwaukee District/West LineThe Milwaukee District/West is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
and on the Wisconsin Central Railroad between Union Station in downtown ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and AntiochAntioch, IllinoisAntioch is a village in the Antioch Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,430 at the 2010 census. Antioch is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.- Prior to incorporation :...
.
September events
- September 11 - The Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
finishes the acquisition that was effectively begun almost a century before with the purchase of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The merged company retains the name "Union Pacific" for all railroad operations. - September 14 - The York–Durham Heritage Railway begins operations on CNCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's former branchBranch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
between UxbridgeUxbridge, OntarioUxbridge is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, in the Greater Toronto Area.The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge...
and Stouffville, Ontario.
October events
- October 1 - The Norwegian Railway InspectorateNorwegian Railway InspectorateThe Norwegian Railway Inspectorate is a Norwegian government agency responsible for control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and side tracks....
is created. - October 13 - Further British train operating companiesTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
begin operation of their passenger service franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
s as part of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British RailThe privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
: Cardiff Railway Company (operating as Valley Lines) and Wales and WestWales and WestWales & West was a British Train Operating Company that ran services from 1997 to 2001, and was one of the original 25 Train Operating Companies that were set up after the UK Rail Industry was privatised...
(both subsidiaries of Prism RailPrism RailPrism Rail was established in 1995 to acquire passenger rail franchises being made available under the Government's rail privatisation programme. It bid for 17 franchises, was shortlisted for 12 and was ultimately awarded 4, which were LTS Rail, Wales and West, WAGN and Valley Lines Trains.Of the...
); Connex South EasternConnex South EasternConnex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
; Island Line, Isle of WightIsland Line, Isle of WightThe Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...
(Stagecoach GroupStagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
); and Thames TrainsThames TrainsThames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
(Go-Ahead GroupGo-Ahead GroupThe Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
). - October - The first stage of Cairo MetroCairo MetroThe Cairo Metro in Egypt is the first of only two full-fledged metro system in Africa, and the Arab World. The system consists of two operational lines, with construction having begun on a third line in 2006....
's Line Two (the Yellow line) opens.
November events
- November 18 - Channel Tunnel fire seriously damaging 200 m of the tunnel's lining.
- November 21 - Limited freight service in the Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
resumes while construction crews make repairs at the location of the fire three days earlier.
December events
- December 1 - Norwegian State RailwaysNorwegian State Railways (1883–1996)The Norwegian State Railways was a state-owned railway company that operated most of the railway network in Norway. The government agency was created in 1883 to oversee the construction and operation of all state-owned railways in Norway...
is split into the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian State Railways. - December 4 - Passenger service resumes through the Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
. - December 5
- BNSF RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
reopens Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
in Washington and resumes operating freight trains over the line. - Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CN) operates its last train of grain to be hauled in 40 ft (12 m) boxcarBoxcarA boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s; CN SD40EMD SD40The EMD SD40 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972.-Design:Like its predecessor in EMD's catalog, the SD35, the SD40 is a high-horsepower, six-motor freight locomotive....
s numbered 5256 and 5051 depart Canora, SaskatchewanCanora, SaskatchewanCanora is a town located at the junction of highways No. 5 and 9 in east-central Saskatchewan, north of the city of Yorkton. Centrally located on the corners of four adjacent rural municipalities, the community is home to approximately 2,400 residents and draws upon a substantial trading area...
, with a train of 114 such boxcars bound for Winnipeg, ManitobaWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, and Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
- BNSF Railway
- December 30
- Dallas Area Rapid TransitDallas Area Rapid TransitThe Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
opens the first line of Trinity Railway ExpressTrinity Railway ExpressThe Trinity Railway Express is a commuter rail line in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority . Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in the joint rail project and...
between Dallas and IrvingIrving, TexasIrving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. - The Brahmaputra Mail train bombingBrahmaputra Mail train bombingThe Brahmaputra Mail train bombing was a terrorist attack on a train travelling in Lower Assam in Eastern India on 30 December 1996. The bomb totally wrecked three carriages of the train and derailed six more, killing at least 33 people....
: a bomb explodes a train travelling in Lower AssamAssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
in Eastern India, totally destroying three carriages of the train and derailingDerailmentA derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
six more, killing at least 33 people.
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit
- December 31 - The Burlington Northern RailroadBurlington Northern RailroadThe Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
merge to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
.
Unknown date events
- The Hell Gate BridgeHell Gate BridgeThe Hell Gate Bridge or Hell's Gate Bridge is a steel through arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randall's and Wards Islands in New York City, over a portion of the East River known...
, built in 1916, is overhauled, including its first paint job in 80 years. - Construction begins on San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
's Tren UrbanoTren UrbanoThe Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
mass transit system. - Following partial flooding of the track for a hydroelectricHydroelectricityHydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
project, the main line of the ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
railway system between and AsunciónAsunciónAsunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
and EncarnaciónEncarnación, ParaguayEncarnación is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Itapúa, located at the south of the department, on the right-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Posadas, Argentina...
ceases to operate.
May deaths
- May - Carl FallbergCarl FallbergCarl Robert Fallberg was a cartoonist and artist who created animated feature films and T.V. cartoons for Disney Studios, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Brothers...
, cartoonist who created Fiddletown & Copperopolis (b. 1915).