2007 in rail transport

none July 2011 2006 2007 2008 2000 __TOC__ Events January events Taiwan January 5 – The first public trains of Taiwan High Speed Rail operate between Taipei and Kaohsiung, a 216 mi km journey, in 1:36 hours.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/05/ap/business/mainD8MF21000.shtml Taiwan's High-Speed Train Debuts Associated Press (reprinted by CBS) Grauwels, Stephan January 5, 2007 January 5, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071224140131/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/05/ap/business/mainD8MF21000.shtml December 24, 2007 Estonia January 9 – Government of Estonia buys back majority share in Eesti Raudtee, the national rail operator, from private investors.EVR's private interlude is over http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//evrs-private-interlude-is-over.html Railway Gazette International February 1, 2007 January 13, 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120531205724/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/evrs-private-interlude-is-over.html May 31, 2012 United States January 12 – Railway Age Magazine selects Bill Wimmer, Vice President Engineering for Union Pacific Railroad to receive the 2007 award for Railroader of the Year.Union Pacific Railroad http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/human_resources/2007/0112_wimmer.shtml January 12, 2007 Union Pacific Vice President-Engineering Bill Wimmer Named Railway Age Railroader Of The Year January 12, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070212003813/http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/human_resources/2007/0112_wimmer.shtml February 12, 2007 live Australia January 30 – The suburban rail network of Melbourne, Australia is thrown into chaos as much of the fleet of new Siemens Nexas Electric Multiple Unit trains is withdrawn from service after a number of incidents of brake failure.http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/soapy-suds-too-much-for-trains-in-makeorbrake-tests/2007/01/29/1169919275235.html Soapy suds too much for trains in make-or-brake tests The Age January 30, 2007 February 2, 2007 Melbourne Stephen Moynihan February events Georgia February 7 – At a meeting in Tbilisi, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sign an agreement authorizing construction of the new Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway linking the three nations.UNA-Georgia http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14586 Saakashvili Speaks of Regional Railway, as Deal Signed February 7, 2007 February 7, 2007 ITAR-TASS http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11230181&PageNum=0 Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey sign agreement on new railroad February 7, 2007 February 7, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204414/http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11230181&PageNum=0 September 30, 2007 dead Canada February 9 – About 2,800 train crew employees of Canadian National (CN) wage a strike action against the railway; the striking workers are members of UTU Canada, the Canadian affiliate of the United Transportation Union.CN strike likely to continue over weekend February 13, 2007 Marowtis, Ross http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=47069 CFRA CN Rail Strike Won't Disrupt Service: Officials Pringle, Josh February 11, 2007 February 14, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021647/http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=47069 September 27, 2007 deadhttp://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2007/02/11/3586848-sun.html https://archive.today/20070927024230/http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2007/02/11/3586848-sun.html dead September 27, 2007 CN strike challenged: Railway files beef with labour board February 11, 2007 February 14, 2007 Winnipeg Sun France February 13 – During a test run a TGV train reaches 553 km/h (343.75 mph) under test conditions with a shortened train on the LGV Est near Passavant-en-Argonne (Marne), 190 km east of Paris.Alstom December 18, 2006 http://www.transport.alstom.com/home/news/Hot_news/27681.EN.php?languageId=EN&dir=/home/news/Hot_news/ Alstom commits itself to the French very high speed rail programme February 4, 2007http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/news/article_1263596.php/French_high-speed_TGV_breaks_world_conventional_rail-speed_record French high-speed TGV breaks world conventional rail-speed record Deutsche Presse-Agentur (reprinted by Monsters and Critics) February 14, 2007 February 14, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070218084148/http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/news/article_1263596.php/French_high-speed_TGV_breaks_world_conventional_rail-speed_record February 18, 2007 dead India February 18 – 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings: Terrorist explosions on the international Samjhauta Express near the Indian city of Panipat kill 68. United Kingdom February 23 – Grayrigg derailment: A Virgin Trains West Coast services travelling from London Euston to Glasgow Central derails in Cumbria in North-West England due to an inadequate points maintenance regime by Network Rail; one elderly woman dies in hospital as a result of her injuries. United States February 26 – The United States Federal Railroad Administration delivers its decision to deny a US$2.3 billion loan request made by Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME).United States Federal Railroad Administration February 26, 2007 http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/press-releases/138 FRA Administrator Denies DM&E Powder River Basin Loan Application Citing Unacceptable Risk to Federal Taxpayers February 28, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070304233022/http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/press-releases/138 March 4, 2007 dead L.B. Foster February 27, 2007 http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=73803&p=irol-newsArticle_print&ID=967958&highlight= FRA Rejects Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad's Loan Application February 28, 2007 PR Newswirehttp://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=285765 https://web.archive.org/web/20070923000244/http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=285765 dead September 23, 2007 Post-Bulletin February 28, 2007 DM&E loan denial's effect is uncertain February 28, 2007 March events South Korea March 16 – Phase three of Incheon Subway Line 1 opens from Gyulhyeon to Gyeyang.Kim Hoon-ki 12 March 2007 인천도시철도 1호선 귤현~계양역 16일 개통 Incheon Subway Line 1 Gyulhyeon-Gyeyang Station to Open on the 16th http://www.newsprime.co.kr/news/article.html?no=27450 2025-12-25 프라임경제 ko Japan March 18 – Opening of the Sendai Airport Line in Sendai.Kusamichi Yoshikazu 16 March 2017 仙台空港鉄道、開業10周年で記念切符など発売…輸送密度は倍増 https://response.jp/article/2017/03/16/292206.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20170415190125/http://response.jp/article/2017/03/16/292206.html 15 April 2017 31 January 2024 Response.jp ja South Korea March 23 – Opening of the first phase of the Airport Railroad Express (AREX) between Seoul-Incheon and Gimpo airports (37.6 km mi on).2007-03-21 Incheon-Gimpo Airports Train to Open Friday http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/03/21/2007032161019.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115720/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/03/21/2007032161019.html 2014-08-26 2014-08-23 The Chosun Ilbo Japan March 25 – The rebuilt Takahatafudō Station, serving the Keiō Line and the Tama Toshi Monorail Line in Japan opens. Japan March 31 Final day of operations on the Kurihara Railway in Miyagi Prefecture.3 April 2017 宮城県栗原市に「くりでんミュージアム」が完成 The Kuriden Museum is completed in Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture https://railf.jp/news/2017/04/03/201500.html 2025-12-25 Japan Railfan Magazine ja Final day of railway operations on the Kashima Railway in Ibaraki Prefecture;鹿島鉄道 https://www.kantetsu.co.jp/katetsu/ 2025-12-25 www.kantetsu.co.jp ja the company continues to operate as a holding company wholly owned by the Kanto Railway Company. Final day of operation on the Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line between Nishitetsu Shingu and Tsuyazaki.Nishitetsu News Release (2007-02-20) 宮地岳線一部区間廃止に伴う路線名変更および鉄道・バス運行概要決定のお知らせ https://web.archive.org/web/20070225152616/http://www.nishitetsu.co.jp/nnr/inf/release/release06_114.htm February 25, 2007 (Japanese) April events France April 3 – The French TGV sets a new train speed record. The train reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph). United States April 7 – Weekday service begins on T Third Street light-rail line in San Francisco, leading to massive delays in the San Francisco Municipal Railway.http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/12/MUNI.TMP April 12, 2007 The San Francisco Chronicle Rachel Gordon Passengers left in lurch by T-Third's rough start / Muni metro mess: New streetcar line brings commuters delays, confusion and stress April 11, 2007 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20071113150013/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2007%2F04%2F12%2FMUNI.TMP November 13, 2007 mdy South Korea April 17 – Phase 2 of Daejeon Metro Line 1 opens for service between Government Complex, Daejeon and Banseok.Im Do-hyeok 4 April 2007 지하철 1호선 17일 완전 개통 https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/04/04/2007040400895.html 2025-12-25 The Chosun Ilbo ko Turkey April 23 – Trial runs on 250 km long Eskişehir-Ankara part of 533 km long High-speed train line from Istanbul (Turkey's largest metropolis) to Ankara (capital of Turkey) began. USA April 23 – Construction begins on the Second Avenue Subway in New York City between 63rd and 105th streets, a resumption of a decades-long project with existing segments elsewhere. Canada April 28 – The Orange Line of Montreal Metro is extended 5.2 km to Montmorency in Laval. May events North KoreaSouth Korea May 17 – Official reinauguration of rail services between Dorasan (South Korea) and Kaesong Industrial Region (North Korea).http://koreareport2.blogspot.ca/2007/12/first-regular-train-service-crosses.html First Regular Train Service Crossess Inter-Korean Border Korea Report 2007-12-11 2015-12-09 June events FranceAustria June 8 – Last Orient Express through overnight service from Paris to Vienna runs.http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/barticle_info.php?articles_id=366 'Hidden Europe' magazine e-news Issue 2007/15 June 7, 2007 June 7, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070701213344/http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/barticle_info.php?articles_id=366 July 1, 2007 live France June 10 – The first section of LGV Est, a high-speed rail line, opens in France. This coincides with improvements to the German rail network to cut travel times from Paris to Eastern France and Germany. Switzerland June 15 – Revenue freight traffic starts to use the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in the Swiss Alps.Meillasson, Sylvain Lötschberg Base Tunnel opens Today's Railways Europe 140 19–26 August 2007 China June 28 – Guangzhou Metro's Line 4 extension connecting Huangge to Jinzhou opens. Australia June – $20m allocated for planning and land acquisition for the proposed Australian Inland Railway. July events Ghana July 1 – Kampac Oil of Dubai, as consortium leader, is awarded a construction and operation contract for a new railway line in Ghana connecting Takoradi 800 km mi to Hamile. The contract, valued at US$1.6 billion, also includes the rehabilitation of a line between Takoradi and Kumasi as part of the Ghanaian government's plans to connect to northern Ghana.http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/July/business_July15.xml&section=business&col= Kampac wins Ghana railway contract Khaleej Times July 1, 2007 July 5, 2007 Japan July 1 – The first timetabled run of N700 Series Shinkansen high-speed train. UK July 18 – Metronet, holder of the maintenance contract for a majority of the London Underground lines, seeks authority of the Mayor of London to go into administration following a dispute about responsibility for cost overruns on its contract.BBC News July 18, 2007 Metronet calls in administrators https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6903977.stm July 18, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070826034617/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6903977.stm August 26, 2007 live August events Russia August 30 – Trubnaya station opened on Moscow Metro. September events United States September – Tunneling for East Side Access in New York begins. October events Guatemala October 1 – Ferrovías Guatemala (subsidiary of Railroad Development Corporation) suspends all operations. Australia October 15 – The William Street tunnel opens as the first stage of Transperth's Mandurah lineAlannah MacTiernan Perth's new underground railway stations ready for action. https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Carpenter-Labor-Government/Perth's-new-underground-railway-stations-ready-for-action.-20071014 Government of Western Australia 12 June 2024 14 October 2007Perth CBD's first underground train station in operation https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-10-15/perth-cbds-first-underground-train-station-in/698954 ABC News 12 June 2024 15 October 2007Laurie Tiffany Rush-hour commuters take new underground stations in their stride The West Australian 16 October 2007 13 United States October 31 – MBTA Commuter Rail Greenbush Line opens in Massachusetts. United Kingdom – Last publication of the monthly OAG Rail Guide, successor to the ABC Rail Guide timetable of 1853.Knowlman, Brian What time's the next timetable? National Railway Museum Review 120 Summer 2007 31–3 November events Belarus November 7 – Minsk Metro Maskoŭskaja line gets extended to Uruchye. United Kingdom November 11 – West Midlands train operating company franchise is taken over from Silverlink and Central Trains by London Midland (a Govia company) and the East Midlands franchise from Midland Mainline and Central Trains by East Midlands Trains. National Express is the principal loser in these changes. Arriva CrossCountry takes over a revised CrossCountry franchise from Virgin CrossCountry.Virgin loses Cross Country rail https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6286904.stm BBC News July 10, 2007 January 1, 2010Haigh, Philip HSTs to CrossCountry as Arriva wins £1.1bn deal Rail 570 July 18–31, 2007 6–7 London Overground Rail Operations commences operation, effectively returning the lines involved to public control.Introducing London Overground – a new era for London Rail Transport for London September 5, 2006 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/3489.aspx June 19, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070610015935/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/3489.aspx June 10, 2007 dead thumb|right|Eurostar at St Pancras International following opening of High Speed 1 France November 13 – Strikes in France begin to disrupt SNCF and Paris Metro service. United Kingdom November 14 – High Speed 1 is opened with public passenger services into rebuilt St Pancras International. Germany November 14 – Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL, or German Train Drivers' Union) engages in a national three-day strike against Deutsche Bahn. United States November 26 – LYNX light-rail service begins in Charlotte, North Carolina. December events Hong Kong December 2 – Two railway companies, the MTR Corporation and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation are merged.Rail Merger All Set For December 2, 2007 United Kingdom December 9 – National Express East Coast takes over the British InterCity East Coast train operating franchise from GNER.http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/icecf1/nxecawardedcontract National Express awarded contract for growth on InterCity East Coast Department for Transport January 21, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080119092752/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/icecf1/nxecawardedcontract January 19, 2008 South Korea North Korea December 11 – freight service to resume between South Korea and North Korea. Switzerland December 12 – NBS Mattstetten–Rothrist line converted to the first Swiss high-speed line, being a part of strategic plan Rail 2000 with detailed longer-term projects. United Kingdom December 18 – Grand Central, a new rail operator in England, inaugurates passenger services from Sunderland to London King's Cross.http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk/news.html?id=news056 Passenger services begin Tuesday December 18 December 18, 2007 Grand Central 4 January 2008 July 2011 Ireland December 19 – The IE 22000 Class Diesel Multiple Unit enters service on Intercity routes in Ireland. Australia December 23 – The Mandurah line opens as an extension to Transperth's rail network.Carpenter Alan MacTiernan Alannah All aboard as the new Perth-to-Mandurah Railway begins https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Carpenter%20Labor%20Government/All-aboard-as-the-new-Perth-to-Mandurah-Railway-begins-20071223 Government of Western Australia 20 April 2025 23 December 20071500 take first railway trip to Mandurah http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=52023 The West Australian Australian Associated Press https://web.archive.org/web/20071224173908/http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=52023 24 December 2007 23 December 2007 deadPerth to Mandurah line takes first passengers https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-12-23/perth-to-mandurah-line-takes-first-passengers/995344 ABC News 20 April 2025 23 December 2007 Spain December 23 – The Madrid–Valladolid high-speed rail line opens to passengers in Spain, including the 28 km Guadarrama Tunnel, the fourth longest railway tunnel in Europe. Russia December 24 – Moscow Metro Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line gets extended from Park Pobedy to Strogino. Russia December 29 – Sretensky Bulvar station opened on the Lyublinskaya Line of Moscow Metro. Switzerland – Regular passenger-train service begins in the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in the Swiss Alps.Trains News Wire April 29, 2005 http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/005/883laawr.asp Swiss complete digging Alpine tunnel May 4, 2005May 2016 medicmedic Unknown date events yes October 2020 section October 2020 United States – The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad expects to complete construction on the railroad's expansion into Wyoming's Powder River Basin. India Bhutan – Construction is expected to begin on a new rail link between India and Bhutan.Kolkata Newsline March 6, 2006 http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=172647 India, Bhutan to start work for railway linkage by 2007 March 7, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060627104107/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=172647 June 27, 2006 dead mdy-all Japan – JR Central phases out 113 series. Accidents United States January 7 – A Washington Metro train derails near downtown Washington, D.C., sending 16 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 people from a tunnel.https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010800195.html Green Line Metro Train Derails; at Least 18 Hurt Klein, Allison Martin Weil The Washington Post 8 January 2007 14 February 2007 India February 18 – 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings, a terrorist attack on the Samjhauta Express near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 km mi north of New Delhi; sixty-eight people are killed. United Kingdom February 23 – Grayrigg derailment: A Virgin Trains West Coast services travelling from London Euston to Glasgow Central derails on faulty points in Cumbria in North-West England. One elderly woman dies in hospital as a result of her injuries. United States May 23 – during the early morning hours, a BNSF Railway switching crew jumped off the locomotive after hearing reports of 34 runaway tank cars loaded with beer charging into Denver's 33rd Street Yard at 40 mph, later slamming into the locomotives and causing substantial damage. The crew were uninjured. The cause was negligence from the crew of another yard leaving the handbrake or airbrakes released. Australia June 5 – Kerang train crash: Eleven people die in a level crossing collision near Kerang, Victoria, Australia. United Kingdom June 12 – A train on the Atlantic Coast Line in Cornwall collides with a car at Chapel level crossing, on the outskirts of Newquay.Driver injured in train collision https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/6744815.stm BBC 13 June 2007 12 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070616224638/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6744815.stm 16 June 2007 live China July 15 – In Shanghai, platform-edge doors cause a fatal accident. when a man tries to force his way onto a crowded train at the station for the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, but failes. When the doors close, he is trapped between the platform doors and the train, leading to his death.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/16/asia/AS-GEN-China-Subway-Accident.php Man caught between subway train and safety doors dies in Shanghai International Herald Tribune Democratic Republic of Congo August 1 – The Benaleka train crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo kills over 100. Pakistan December 19 – Mehrabpur train derailment occurs near Mehrabpur in Pakistan killing 40. uncollapsed Deaths February deaths February 23 – Robert W. Richardson, American railroad historian, dies (b. 1910). August deaths August 9 – Walter Rich, Chairman of Delaware Otsego Corporation, New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad and Central New York Railroad (b. 1946).http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2007/08/10/tgrichobit2.html Railroad chairman Rich dies The Daily Star Grace, Tom August 10, 2007 August 10, 2007 September 2010 H3llBot December deaths December 24 – George Warrington, president of Amtrak 1998–2002, executive director of New Jersey Transit 2002–2007 (b. 1952). Industry awards Japan Awards presented by Japan Railfan Club 2007 Blue Ribbon Award: Toyama Light Rail 0600 series "Portram" 2007 Laurel Prize: JR East E233 series EMU and Nishi-Nippon Railroad 3000 series EMU North America 2007 E. H. Harriman Awardshttp://www.aar.org/Index.asp?NCID=4002 Railroad Employees Post Safest Year Ever in 2006 Association of American Railroads May 17, 2007 May 18, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070629231350/http://www.aar.org/Index.asp?NCID=4002 June 29, 2007 dead Group Gold medal Silver medal Bronze medal A Norfolk Southern CSX BNSF B Kansas City Southern Railway Canadian Pacific's United States subsidiary Long Island Rail Road C Florida East Coast Railway Central Oregon & Pacific Railroadhttp://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070518005478&newsLang=en RailAmerica's Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad Wins Harriman Award May 18, 2007 RailAmerica May 18, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194238/http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070518005478&newsLang=en September 27, 2007 dead mdy-all BNSF Suburban Operation in Chicago S&T Birmingham Southern Railroad Conrail Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis Awards presented by Railway Age magazine 2007 Railroader of the Year: Bill Wimmer (UP) 2007 Regional Railroad of the Year: South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL)http://www.pratttribune.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/01.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20160305124940/http://www.pratttribune.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/01.txt dead March 5, 2016 Watco earns accolades for rails March 21, 2008 Pratt Tribune Bronson, Carol March 25, 2008 2007 Short Line Railroad of the Year: RJ Corman West Virginia Lineshttp://www.aslrra.org/images/news_file/Railway_Age_2007_RR_of_the_Year.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20080909204118/http://www.aslrra.org/images/news_file/Railway_Age_2007_RR_of_the_Year.pdf dead September 9, 2008 Railway Age 2007 RR of the Year 2007 American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association July 9, 2008 United Kingdom Train Operator of the Year 2007: Eurostar References 2