1980 in rail transport

Events

January events

* January 23 - Western Pacific Railroad president R. G. "Mike" Flannery announces that an agreement has been reached for the railroad to be controlled by Union Pacific Railroad. [Feather River Rail Society/Western Pacific Railroad Historical Society (2002), " [http://www.wprrhs.org/wphistory.html Western Pacific History] ". Retrieved January 23 2006.]
* January - Amtrak re-equips the "Empire Builder", making it the first train to use all Superliner equipment.

February events

* February 20 - Canadian Pacific Railway officially abandons its Eganville subdivision, including tracks between Payne and Douglas, Ontario. [Colin Churcher's Railway Pages (February 17 2006), " [http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/ottawa.htm Significant dates in Ottawa railway history] ". Retrieved February 20 2006.]

March events

* March 1 - The Milwaukee Road ends operations on all points west of Miles City, Montana, shutting down nearly half of the railroad.
* March 31 - The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (the Rock Island) ceases operations.

April events

* April 16 - After a complete system overhaul, the Glasgow Subway is reopened.

May events

* May - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority extends passenger service to Concord, New Hampshire.
* May - The Interstate Commerce Commission approves the liquidation of the Rock Island Railroad; at 7,073 track miles covering 13 states, it is the largest such action in United States history.

June events

* June 1 - The Oslo Tunnel opens, connecting the eastern and western rail networks of Norway.
* June 1 - A new rail link opens between the city of Zürich and Zürich International Airport

July events

* July 25 - Two trains collide on a single track between Groningen and Roodeschool, near Winsum, The Netherlands, resulting in 9 deaths and 21 injured.

August events

* August 1 - Ireland: A train derails en route from Dublin to Cork, killing 17 passengers.
* August 11 - England: The Tyne and Wear Metro opens for full public service with the first section from Haymarket to Tynemouth via South Gosforth and Four Lane Ends, the first British conversion from heavy to light rail. [cite book|author=Gillham, J. C.|title=The Age of the Electric Train: Electric Trains in Britain since 1883|year=1988|publisher=Ian Allan|location=London|isbn=0-7110-1392-6]

October events

* October 14 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the Staggers Rail Act into law, significantly deregulating the American railroad industry.

November events

* November 21 - The Burlington Northern Railroad acquires the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway.
* November - The first test runs of the Joetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Niigata are operated.

Unknown date events

* The Chessie System and Seaboard System Railroad merge to form CSX Transportation.
* Now owning a 98.34% control of the Cotton Belt Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad extends the Cotton Belt to Chicago, Illinois, through acquisition of the former Rock Island Railroad.
* The last train operates over the elevated freight "High Line" in New York City.
* Guilford Transportation Industries is formed to become a holding company for several smaller railroads of New England.
* L. Stanley Crane is succeeded by Harold H. Hall as president of the Southern Railway.

Births

Deaths

References

* " [http://pages.ivillage.com/generaljim1/theerielackawannalimited/id19.html Norfolk Southern Railway] ". Retrieved February 22 2005.
* (May 2005), Trains Timetable, "Trains Magazine", p. 14.
* "Handbook of Texas Online". [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/BB/eqb17.html "BURLINGTON SYSTEM"] . Retrieved 26 May 2005.