Events January events January 4 – New York City Subway introduces a driverless train. January 8 – The Harmelen train disaster, the worst railway accident in the history of the Netherlands, occurs when one passenger train driver misses a warning signal and passes a red signal to collide nearly head-on with another passenger train. 93 are killed. January 28 – The last lines of streetcars in Washington, D.C., end operations.
February events
February 1 – The Nordland Line in Norway is completed and opened to Bodø.
March events March 15 – Canadian Pacific Railway receives authorization to discontinue passenger train service between Ottawa and Chalk River. March 23 – In Tokyo, Japan, the Marunouchi Line branch is extended from Nakano-fujimicho to Honancho.
May events May 3 – Mikawashima train crash in Japan kills 160. May 22 – SNCF in France completes electrification from Strasbourg through to Paris. May 23 – Drilling for the new Montreal Metro system commences. May 31 Toei Subway Line 1 (present-day Asakusa Line) opens between Asakusabashi and Higashi-Nihonbashi in Tokyo, Japan. The Hibiya Line is extended north from Minami-senju to Kita-senju and south from Naka-okachimachi to Ningyocho. Through service to the Tobu Isesaki Line also begins.
June events June 30 – The Norfolk and Western Railway discontinues electrification on the former Virginian Railway.
July events July 17 – Canadian National Railway debuts a new paint scheme on its transcontinental passenger train, the Super Continental.
August events
August 29 – In Tokyo, Japan, the Hibiya Line begins service between Kasumigaseki and Higashi-ginza.
September events September 1 – Port Authority Trans-Hudson assumes operation of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad. September 7 – The Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway, in England, is closed by the Western Region of British Railways. September 30 – Toei Subway Line 1 (present-day Asakusa Line) is extended from Higashi-Nihonbashi to Ningyocho in Tokyo, Japan.
October events October 3 – British railway unions call a one-day strike in protest of workshop closures. October 11 – Colorado and Southern Railway 2-8-0 number 641 pulls the last steam locomotive-operated regular daily service revenue train on a standard gauge railroad in the United States when it pulls a train from Leadville to Climax, Colorado. October 28 – The Lake Street Elevation of the Chicago Transit Authority rail system is placed in operation, relocating 2.6 miles of the former at-grade portion of the route onto the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company's elevated right-of-way, with new stations at Central, Austin, Ridgeland, Oak Park and Harlem. The improvement eliminated a total of 22 grade crossings in Chicago, Oak Park and Forest Park.
Unknown date events Railway extended to Wau, South Sudan. New York Central purchases the first electric multiple unit passenger cars from Pullman-Standard for use on the Metro-North railroad. Union Pacific 3985, a Challenger locomotive, is removed from revenue service on the Union Pacific Railroad. First Indian Railways Class WDM-2, from ALCO, introduced. The class will eventually exceed 2,800 units. ALCO closes the ALCO Thermal Products Division (formerly Brooks Locomotive Works) plant in Dunkirk, New York. Harry A. deButts is succeeded by D. William Brosnan as president of the Southern Railway. The Northern Refrigerator Car Line is combined with Merchants Despatch.
Accidents
Deaths February 2 – Ralph Budd, president of the Great Northern Railway 1919–1932 and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 1932–1949 (b. 1879).
References