1976 in rail transport

none February 2024 The USA Europe 1975 1976 1977 1970 Events March events March 27 - The first section, 4.6 miles (7.4 km), of the Washington Metro, the elevated, ground, and subway system in Washington, D.C., opens.Washington DC Chapter National Railway Historical Society Washington, D.C. Railroad History http://www.dcnrhs.org/dc_rail_history.htm 27 March 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060205100435/http://www.dcnrhs.org/dc_rail_history.htm 5 February 2006 dead March 31 - The Sallins Train Robbery takes place on CIÉ when a Cork to Dublin mail train is robbed near Sallins in County Kildare, Ireland, and around IR£200,000 stolen. April events April 1 - Conrail is formed by an act of United States Congress merging the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna Railroad, Lehigh and Hudson River Railway, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Penn Central and Reading Company into the new Consolidated Railway Corporation. Through this "forced merger", hundreds of miles of trackage in the North East were abandoned between 1976 and 1980. April 9 - The EMD F40PH diesel locomotive enters revenue service with Amtrak. May events May 4 - An international train collides with a local train near Schiedam, the Netherlands, killing 24 and injuring 11. May 6 - In Tokyo, Japan, an extension of Line 6 (currently the Mita Line) opens from Takashimadaira Station to Nishi-Takashimadaira Station.東京都交通局,交通局について,都営地下鉄 History of the Transportation Bureau https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/about/ayumi/subway.html 12 July 2024 kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp ja June events June 1 - Opening of Belgrade–Bar railway through the Balkans, 476 km mi on long, with 254 tunnels totalling 114 km mi on and over 435 bridges including Mala Rijeka Viaduct, 198 m ft on above ground level, the world's tallest. The latter lies near the summit at Kolašin, 1032 m ft on AMSL.Richard Balkwill Marshall, John John Marshall (railway historian) The Guinness Book of Railway Facts and Feats 6th Enfield Guinness Publishing 1993 0-85112-707-X June 10 - The Tozai Subway Line in Sapporo, Japan, opens between Kotoni and Shiroishi.地下鉄（高速電車）の概要 Overview of the subway (high-speed train) https://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/subway/gaiyo/gaiyo.html https://web.archive.org/web/20240119102731/https://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/subway/gaiyo/gaiyo.html 19 January 2024 6 February 2024 city.sapporo.jp ja June 15 - Amtrak introduces the Palmetto. June 21 - First section of Charleroi Light Metro opens in Belgium.Desart / Keutgens Inauguration du semi-métro de Charleroi / De plechtige indienststelling van de semi-metro te Charleroi Tram Magazine 1976 1 #2 L'Association pour le Musée du Tramway (« AMUTRA ») fr, nl October events thumb|200px|InterCity 125 October 4 The InterCity 125 high-speed train is introduced into passenger service on British Rail, initially between London Paddington station, Bristol Temple Meads and south Wales; the units will still be in front-line service 40 years later.http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/4/newsid_2486000/2486817.stm New train speeds into service On This Day BBC News 2017-04-30 1976-10-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/4/newsid_2486000/2486817.stm 2008-03-07 live The Sinfin Branch Line from Derby to Sinfin, England, opens for passengers to carry workers to and from the Rolls-Royce plant. October 6 – The 2400-series cars (2401–2600), built by Boeing-Vertol of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, are placed in service on the Chicago "L" system. The 2400-series cars are the first rail transit order built by Boeing (an aircraft manufacturer) and the first rapid transit cars in Chicago to have sliding doors (2-pair on each side). The previous 2200 series, 2000 series and 6000 series have blinker doors. October 31 – Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway issue the first joint Via Rail timetable. December events December 26 - The second American Freedom Train tour ends in Miami. See also American Freedom Train – 1975–76 station stops. Unknown date events Many of the major American railroads paint some of their diesel locomotives in red, white and blue paint schemes in celebration of the United States Bicentennial Former Southern Pacific Railroad GS-4 class 4-8-4 number 4449 is painted in a special red, white and blue paint scheme and tours the United States as the power for the American Freedom Train. Denman McNear succeeds Benjamin Biaggini as president of the Southern Pacific Company, parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Benjamin Biaggini assumes the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southern Pacific Company, a position that has been vacant since Donald Russell's departure in 1972. General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD F40PH. Work begins to restore Southern Pacific 4-6-2 number 2472 to operating condition after almost 20 years of static display. The 10 series debuts on the Midosuji Line in Osaka, Japan.5 July 2022 ありがとう10系！御堂筋線で活躍した10系車両が引退しました Thank you series 10! Series 10 trains that were active on the Midosuji Line have been retired. https://subway.osakametro.co.jp/news/news/other/20220705_thankyou10kei.php https://web.archive.org/web/20220705112628/https://subway.osakametro.co.jp/news/news/other/20220705_thankyou10kei.php 5 July 2022 15 August 2022 Osaka Metro ja Accidents uncollapsed Deaths July deaths July 4 - Fred Gurley, president of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 1944-1957 (b. 1889).Railway Age Short and Significant: Santa Fe's Fred Gurley dies at 87 8 177 13 July 26, 1976 July 15 - William C. Coleman, president of Monon Railroad, (b. 1901).Railway Age Obituary 43 Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 177 14 August 9, 1976 October deaths October 4 - Henry G. Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (b. 1886). Unknown date deaths John W. Barriger III, president of the Monon Railroad 1946–1953, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad 1954–1964, Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad 1965–1970 and the Boston and Maine Railroad 1973–1974 (b. 1899). http://www.rosshorwood.com/RailSiteLinksFiles/JohnBarriger.html John W. Barriger; Rail historian and railfan 22 February 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050301023222/http://www.rosshorwood.com/RailSiteLinksFiles/JohnBarriger.html 2005-03-01 dead References Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society 2005 http://avenue.org/nrhs/histoct.htm This month in railroad history: October 31 October 2005