- 1968 in rail transport
Events
January events
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January 6 - TheHixon rail crash occurs when a low-loader road transporter is struck by anexpress train on an automatic half-barrierlevel crossing atHixon, Staffordshire ,England . 11 people are killed. This has repercussions on the arrangements for automating level crossings onBritish Rail . [cite book|author=Ministry of Transport|coauthors=W. Patrick Jackson|year=1968|title=Report of the Public Inquiry into the Accident at Hixon Level Crossing on January 6th 1968|publisher=H.M.S.O|location=London|isbn=0-10-137060-1|url= http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_Hixon1968.pdf] [cite book|author=Vaughan, Adrian|title=Obstruction Danger|date=1989|publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd|location=Wellingborough|isbn=1-85260-055-1]February events
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February 1 - ThePennsylvania Railroad and theNew York Central Railroad merge to form thePenn Central . Terms of the merger with theNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad have not yet been agreed with theInterstate Commerce Commission ; in the interim, the Penn Central will financially support the New Haven.April events
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April 4 - Transit Planning Study, Chicago Central Area, a three volume report authorized in1965 , is published by the City of Chicago,Chicago Transit Authority , and other public agencies. It proposed a new Loop Subway under Randolph, Wabash, Van Buren and Franklin Streets and a Distributor Subway system under Monroe Street to the lakefront area. It was referred to as theChicago Central Area Transit Plan , or CCATP.
*April 5 - TheUlster Transport Authority (UTA), responsible for closing most of the northern part of the Irish railway system, is dissolved.Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) (formed as Ulster Transport Railways) takes over operation of railways inNorthern Ireland .
*April 8 - The last run of the "Golden State"passenger train on the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads departsLos Angeles, California .June events
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June 12 - Following the withdrawal ofSoo Line Railroad 's objections, theInterstate Commerce Commission reaffirms its approval of the proposed CNW/CGW merger. [cite journal| journal=Railway Age| month=June 17 | year=1968 | title=Week at a glance: Chicago roads get merger reaffirmed| volume=164| issue=23| pages=p 11 ]July events
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July 1 - TheChicago Great Western Railway is merged into theChicago and North Western Railway to avoid bankruptcy.
*July 19 -Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 's "Texas Chief "passenger train discontinues station stops atDallas, Texas .
*July 30 - TheChicago and North Western Railway railroad acquires theDes Moines and Central Iowa Railway and theFort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railway .August events
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August 11 -British Rail discontinues its use ofsteam locomotive s on thestandard gauge .
*August 22 -Magma Arizona Railroad discontinues its use ofsteam locomotive s. [cite web|author=Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society|date=2005 |url=http://avenue.org/nrhs/histaug.htm|title=This Month in Railroad History: August|accessdate=2005-08-22]eptember events
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September 1 - TheVictoria line of theLondon Underground opens between Walthamstow Central and Highbury and Islington. [cite book|author=Beecroft, Gregory D.|coauthors=Frew, Iain D. O.; Holmewood, Alan; Rayner, Bryan; Stevenson, Barry|title=London Transport Railways Handbook|date=1983|publisher=Foxley Press|location=Chelmsford|isbn=0950877409]December events
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December 31 -Penn Central 's purchase of theNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad is completed.Unknown date events
* Construction is completed on the
Muskingum Electric Railroad in southeasternOhio . [cite journal|author=Reh, Vincent|date=February2002 |title=Muskingum Electric Railroad just about done|journal=Trains Magazine|pages=p. 22–23]
* TheAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway operates the last passenger train on its subsidiaryGrand Canyon Railway , carrying only three passengers for the final run. [cite journal|author=Bianchi, Curt|date=May1995 |title=By steam to the Grand Canyon|journal=Trains Magazine|pages=p. 38–45]Births
Deaths
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October 7 -Richard M. Dilworth , General Motors Electro-Motive Division chief engineer credited with developing thediesel-electric locomotive concept in the 1930s (b. 1885). [cite journal| journal=Railway Age| month=October 21 | year=1968 | pages=p 40| title=You ought to know: Electro-Motive's Dilworth is dead; diesel pioneer| volume=165| issue=16 ]References
* Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (
2005 ), " [http://avenue.org/nrhs/histjul.htm This Month in Railroad History: July] ". RetrievedJuly 18 2005 .
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