2003 in rail transport

none July 2011 July 20112002 2003 2004 2000 Events January events United States January 1 – E. Hunter Harrison, former president of Illinois Central Railroad (now a subsidiary of CN), succeeds Paul Tellier as president of Canadian National Railway.Railway mogul Hunter Harrison was adored by investors, scorned by unions https://calgaryherald.com/news/world/railway-mogul-hunter-harrison-was-adored-by-investors-scorned-by-unions Calgary Herald en-CA Singapore January 18 – The east loop of Singapore's second LRT line, Sengkang LRT line, is opened.Free LRT service in Sengkang http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20030117-2.2.5.9 Today NewspaperSG 11 February 2025 17 January 2003 United Kingdom January 21 – The first segment of High Speed 1 in England is completed. February events March events Japan March 19 – In Tokyo, the northern section of the Hanzomon Line is opened between Suitengumae and Oshiage.History https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/corporate/profile/history/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20230605063443/https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/corporate/profile/history/index.html 2023-06-05 2024-07-13 tokyometro.jp Australia March 21 – Official launch of M>Train's new Siemens Nexas trains in Melbourne, Australia.VICSIG https://vicsig.net/index.php?page=suburban&section=siemens vicsig.net 12 February 2025 April events India April 1 – Five new railway zones of Indian Railways (South Western, North Central, West Central, East Coast, South East Central) started operations. Australia April 3 – First revenue run of M>Train's new Siemens Mo-Mo train.VICSIG https://vicsig.net/index.php?page=suburban&section=siemens vicsig.net 12 February 2025 Philippines April 5 – The third rapid transit line of the Philippines which is the Manila Line 2, began partial operations from Santolan Station to Araneta Center–Cubao Station.Villanueva Marichu A. GMA leads Megatren inauguration https://www.philstar.com/metro/2003/04/06/201659/gma-leads-megatren-inauguration Philstar.com 12 February 2025 Australia April 11 – M>Train withdrew fleet of Siemens Mo-Mo trains due to braking and traction issues. India April 26 – DLW completed construction of the first WDP-4 locomotive to be built entirely within India. http://irfca.org/faq/faq-history6.html IR History: Part VI (1995–present) 2005 Indian Railways Fan Club April 26, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060425041342/http://irfca.org/faq/faq-history6.html April 25, 2006 live May events June events Singapore June 20 – North East MRT line in Singapore opened. It is the world's first fully underground, automated and driverless rapid transit line.Singapore's automatic metro line, NEL, begins service https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2003/6/Singapores-automatic-metro-line-NEL-begins-service-20030630 Alstom 12 February 2025 en Ireland June 21 – The IE 29000 Class Diesel Multiple Unit commuter train enters service in the Dublin Suburban Area. United States June 22 – Bay Area Rapid Transit opens its extension to Millbrae, where trains interchange with Caltrain services, as well as to San Francisco International Airport. July events United States July 15 – L. Stanley Crane,L. Stanley Crane, elected in 1978 as a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering twice the Railroader of the Year, died of pneumonia at a hospice in Boynton Beach, Fla.L. Stanley Crane (born in Cincinnati, 1915) raised in Washington, lived in McLean before moving to Philadelphia in 1981. He began his career with Southern Railway after graduating from The George Washington University with a chemical engineering degree in 1938. He worked for the railroad, except for a stint from 1959 to 1961 with the Pennsylvania Railroad, until reaching the company's mandatory retirement age in 1980. Crane went to Conrail in 1981 after a distinguished career that had seen him rise to the position of CEO at the Southern Railway. He died of pneumonia on July 15, 2003 at a hospice in Boynton Beach, Fla. United States July 21 – A tornado knocked down most of the former Erie Railroad's Kinzua Bridge.Alward, Daniel 2005 http://www.venangoil.com/bridgeskinzua.html Kinzua Bridge In McKean County Pennsylvania June 13, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050408135101/http://www.venangoil.com/bridgeskinzua.html April 8, 2005 live mdy United States July 25– David Laney was promoted to Chairman of the Board of Directors for Amtrak. United States July 26 – The original Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Gold Line opens for revenue service between Los Angeles Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-19-me-mta19-story.html Gold Line Is Set to Open July 26 June 19, 2003 Kurt Streeter Los Angeles Times 14 March 2016The Pasadena Gold Line: Development Strategies, Location Decisions, and Travel Characteristics along a New Rail Line in the Los Angeles Region April 2005 Dr. Hollie Lund Dr. Richard W. Willson Mineta Transportation Institute San Jose, CA http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/bestpractice213.pdf amp October 10, 2020 August 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170811121346/http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/bestpractice213.pdf dead United Kingdom July 30 – Eurostar train number 3313/14 established a new speed record in England at 334.7 km/h (208 mph) on High Speed 1. August events India August 9 – Indian Railways began passenger train service between Hyderabad and Secunderabad with 13 trains between Lingampally and Hyderabad, and 11 between Lingampally and Secunderabad.Indian Railways Fan Club 2005 http://irfca.org/faq/faq-history6.html IR History: Part VI (1995–present) August 9, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050806004824/http://irfca.org/faq/faq-history6.html August 6, 2005 live August 10 Australia M>Train (Melbourne, Australia) returned fleet of Siemens trains to service. Japan Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail), Naha Airport Station to Shuri Station route open in Okinawa Island, Japan. United States August 22 – Sound Transit connected to Tacoma, Washington.HistoryLink 2005 http://www.historylink.org/this_week/index.cfm This week in state and local history August 22, 2005 http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050731224536/http://www.historylink.org/this_week/index.cfm July 31, 2005 live Malaysia August 31 – Opening of KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur. September events Germany September 1 – Deutsche Bahn took over operations of shipping company Stinnes Group in Germany. United States September 25 – James J. Dermody became President of Long Island Rail Road in New York.http://www.mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=070604-HQ42 MTA Picks Helena Williams to Head Long Island Rail Road June 4, 2007 August 9, 2007 New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority https://web.archive.org/web/20070701070720/http://mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=070604-HQ42 July 1, 2007 live United Kingdom September 28 – The first segment of High Speed 1 in England, is opened.High Speed 1: Laying the tracks for transformation ARUP Consulting November 2022 49 https://www.arup.com/globalassets/downloads/insights/high-speed-1-laying-the-tracks-for-transformation.pdf October events Australia October 1 – M>Train (Melbourne, Australia) withdrew its fleet of Siemens trains for the second time. Spain October 7 – Renfe opened the Madrid–Lleida section of the system's new standard gauge AVE Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line via Zaragoza in Spain. Australia October 27 – Fleet of Siemens trains returned to M>Train (Melbourne, Australia) service, some minus livery. November events United States November 3 – NYC Subway's "Redbird" R36 trains make final run from 42nd Street Times Square to Willets Point Shea Stadium. FranceItaly November 4 – A new intermodal service was inaugurated between Aiton, France, and Orbassano (near Turin), Italy, to transport complete trucks (both the tractor and trailer) and their loads. The trains include coach seating for the truck drivers. France November 28 – SNCF (France) celebrates the one-billionth passenger on its TGV. December events Japan December 1 – JR West discontinued service on the Kabe Line between Kabe and Sandankyō stations. December 5 – Opening of 15.34 km mi on Severomuysky Tunnel on Baikal Amur Mainline after twenty-seven years’ construction. United Kingdom December 9 – The European Commission approved the franchise of the First TransPennine Express between Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and other northern England locations as a joint operation of FirstGroup and Keolis.European Commission December 9, 2003 Commission clears northern England train JV between FirstGroup and Keolis http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1675&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en December 9, 2006 United States December 17 – AirTrain JFK opened in New York City. Hong Kong December 20 – The KCR West Rail in Hong Kong started services. United Kingdom December – Great North Eastern Railway, operators of services on the East Coast Main Line between England and Scotland, began trials of 802.11b wireless LAN access to the Internet on their Mallard InterCity 225 trains. Accidents India January 3 – Ghatnandur train crash: A passenger train travelling from Secunderabad to Manmad, crashed into the rear end of a heavy goods train near Ghatnandur in Maharashtra, India, killing 18 people. January 27 Italy A head-on collision between an Italian and a French train in the Tende line's Biogna tunnel left two dead and four seriously injured. India 2003 Mumbai bombing: A bicycle bomb exploded near Vile Parle railway station in Mumbai, India, killing one person. Australia January 31 – The Waterfall rail accident occurred near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia. A train derailed, killing seven people on board. Zimbabwe February 1 – The Dete train crash killed 50 people in the Zimbabwean town of Dete in the Western part of the country about 90 mi km from Victoria Falls. South Korea February 18 – An arsonist caused the Daegu subway fire when he set fire to a train stopped at the Joongang-ro (or Jungang-ro) station of the Daegu Metropolitan Subway in Daegu, South Korea. India March 13 – 2003 Mumbai train bombing: A bomb in a ladies' compartment exploded as a train pulled into Mulund station, killing 10 people. India May 15 – The Ladhowal rail disaster was a flash fire on the Frontier Mail train service in India, which engulfed three carriages. 39 people lost their lives. India June 23 – The Vaibhavwadi train crash killed 53 people near the village of Vaibhavwadi in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra in India. India July 2 – The Warangal train crash killed 22 people in the town of Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, in India. Ireland October 7 – The Cahir viaduct on the Limerick–Rosslare railway line partly collapsed under a cement train travelling to Waterford.https://www.newcivilengineer.com/irish-rail-bridge-collapse-triggers-networkwide-inspections/797227.article?search=https%3a%2f%2fwww.newcivilengineer.com%2fsearcharticles%3fqsearch%3d1%26keywords%3dCahir+Suir+bridge Redfern Bernadette Irish rail bridge collapse triggers network-wide inspections New Civil Engineer Metropolis 23 October 2003 8 May 2018 No one was hurt but the line remained closed until the following September for repairs to the bridge. Russia December 5 – 2003 Stavropol train bombing: A suicide bomb blast on a Kislovodsk–Mineralnye Vody commuter train in Stavropol Krai as it was leaving Yessentuki killed at least 46 people and injured more than 170. uncollapsed Deaths June deaths Argentina June 10 – Livio Dante Porta, Argentinian steam locomotive mechanical engineer (born 1922). Industry awards Japan Awards presented by Japan Railfan Club 2003 Blue Ribbon Award: Kintetsu 21020 series Urban Liner Next EMU 2003 Laurel Prize: Okayama Electric Tramway 9200 series "Momo" tramcar Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau 1000 series "U-tram" tramcar North America 2003 E. H. Harriman Awards Group Gold medal Silver medal Bronze medal A Norfolk Southern Railway     B Metra Soo Line Railroad   C       S&T Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis Conrail   Awards presented by Railway Age magazine 2003 Railroader of the Year: Richard K. Davidson (Union Pacific)Railway Age Vantuono William C. January 2003 Union Pacific's Dick Davidson: managing a 33,000-mile factory — with no roof – Railroader of the Year – Company Profile https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_1_204/ai_97447683/print https://web.archive.org/web/20081003081247/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_1_204/ai_97447683/print usurped 1 204 October 3, 2008 January 13, 2007 2003 Regional Railroad of the Year: Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad 2003 Short Line Railroad of the Year: San Joaquin Valley Railroad United Kingdom Train Operator of the Year 2003: Anglia Railwayshttp://www.scotrail.co.uk/press240204.htm ScotRail highly commended in rail 'Oscars' ScotRail February 24, 2004 November 6, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060515193830/http://www.scotrail.co.uk/press240204.htm May 15, 2006 dead mdy-all http://www.railpro.co.uk/issues/apr2004.html HSBC Rail Awards 2003 Review November 6, 2006 Rail Professional https://web.archive.org/web/20061007080415/http://www.railpro.co.uk/issues/apr2004.html October 7, 2006 dead mdy References Many of the events listed here were translated from 2003 dans les chemins de fer, the equivalent French-language Wikipedia article.