2005 in rail transport

2004, 2005, 2006

2004 in rail transport
2005 in rail transport
2006 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 2005.

Events

January events

Main article January 2005 in rail transport

January 5 - A Norfolk Southern train carrying a few carloads of hazardous materials (including chlorine gas) collides with a parked train in Graniteville, South Carolina, causing the Graniteville train disaster. [1]
January 12 - General Motors announces that it has agreed to sell its Electro-Motive Division to a partnership led by Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners. [2]
January 17 - Two Bangkok Metro trains collide, injuring nearly 200 people. [3], [4]
January 26 - In what police call a suicide attempt, a Metrolink train in Glendale, California, (a suburb of Los Angeles) hits a car parked on a grade crossing and then derails into another Metrolink train and a parked Union Pacific Railroad locomotive; the Glendale train crash results in 11 fatalities and 200 injuries. [5], [6], [7]

February events

Main article February 2005 in rail transport

February 25 - Bombardier is awarded a contract to build 361 passenger cars for a new Chinese rail line to Lhasa, Tibet; due to the destination's altitude the cars will include special UV-filtering glass and a unique oxygen enriching system. [8]

March events

Main article March 2005 in rail transport

March 2 - Citing disputes in paid leave policies, around 200 BNSF Railway dispatchers walk off the job for nearly three hours, causing traffic delays over the entire system from Chicago to the Pacific coast. [9]
March 14 - Canadian Pacific Railway purchases 35 new Green Goat hybrid locomotives, becoming the first railroad to order this type of locomotive. [10]

April events

Main article April 2005 in rail transport

April 1
- All former BC Rail systems and operations are fully integrated into those of the purchasing railroad, Canadian National Railway. [11]
- Kansas City Southern Railway completes its controlling interest purchase of TFM.
April 13 - The transport ministry of Bulgaria issues the first freight transport license to a private company, Bulgarian Railroad Company, to operate on the nation's rail network. [12]
April 25 - A JR West commuter train derails and strikes an apartment building in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan, killing 106 and injuring more than 460 others; see Amagasaki rail crash.
April 28 - Swiss engineers blast through the last section of rock on the first bore of the Loetschberg tunnel project under the Alps. [13]

May events

Main article May 2005 in rail transport

May 3 - The Iranian president Mohammad Khatami leads the ceremony inaugurating passenger rail service between Mashhad and Bafq, Iran. [14]
May 26 - Genesee and Wyoming (G&W) announce that they have agreed to purchase the railroad operations of Rail Management Corporation (RMC). G&W will pay $243 million in cash and assume $1.7 million in company debt to gain control of 14 short line railroads from RMC across the southeastern United States, as of June 1, 2005. G&W already controls 24 other railroads in North America, South America and Australia. [15] [16]

June events

Main article June 2005 in rail transport

June 1 - Joseph H. Boardman, former Commissioner of New York State Department of Transportation, begins his duties as Administrator for the United States Federal Railroad Administration (a division of the USDOT). [17]
June 2 - Railroad workers across France go on strike to demand better wages and jobs. The strike, which began at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, is expected to last through 6:00 GMT Friday. Nearly 40% of all TGV schedules are dropped for the duration of the strike. [18]
June 4 - Lalu Prasad, India's Railway Minister, presents his Rs.532 billion ($12 billion) budget for Indian Railways for 2005-06. The network of more than 9,000 passenger trains will not increase passenger fares, will add 46 new trains, increase frequencies on 10 others and plans to inaugurate new high speed train service between New Delhi and Kolkata and another between New Delhi and Chennai. [19]
June 12 - At 7:10 AM local time, a bomb explodes between Uzunovo and Bogatishchevo, Russia (about 95 miles / 153 km from Moscow), derailing the locomotive and first four passenger cars of the Grozny-Moscow train. Investigators found wires leading from the explosion site to a control panel and hideout about 164 ft (50 m) from the site. [20]
June 22 - The entire network of the Swiss Federal Railways shuts down due to a power failure in its overhead wire system. The power failure is also affecting international transit through Switzerland as such intercity trains use the same system. Initial reports indicate that the power failure started with a voltage drop in Ticino (in the St. Gotthard region) that then spread to the entire system. It is unknown when service will be restored. [21] [22]

Future events

June

June 6 - Amtrak's new Oakland Coliseum station in Oakland, California, is scheduled to open. [23]
June 24 - The United States Federal Railroad Administration will issue its final rule on the use of train horns at grade crossings. [24]

July

July 1 - Indian Railways is expected to inaugurate two new Shatabdi Express passenger trains, one between Chennai and Bangalore and a new Jan-Shatabdi Express between Madgaon and Mangalore.
29 July - Iarnr�d �ireann, the Irish state railway operator, is to cease all container freight traffic on the network. Freight yards at Limerick and Dublin will be closed.

August

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Orange Line bus rapid transit busway[25] in the San Fernando Valley, extending from the end of the current Red Line in North Hollywood to Warner Center, is scheduled to be completed.

Unknown date

The Docklands Light Railway extension to London City Airport is scheduled to open.
Construction is scheduled to begin on the Docklands Light Railway extension to Woolwich Arsenal.
UP 844 is expected to return to excursion service after an overhaul.
Railways Act 2005 (UK) [26]

Deaths

January deaths

January 23 - John H. Kuehl, editor of Private Varnish magazine, passenger car historian and photographer (b. 1938).

February deaths

February 12 - Vernon L. Smith, mechanical engineer for Lima Locomotive Works in the 1930s, superintendent of motive power for the Belt Railway of Chicago in the 1970s, and noted railroad author (b. 1912).

March deaths

March 28 - Paul H. Stringham, central Illinois railroad photographer and historian (b. 1913). [27]

April deaths

April 22 - Margaret Landry Moore, "Miss Southern Belle" spokesmodel for Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle passenger trains (b. 1923). [28]
April 28 - Frank Turpin, CEO of Alaska Railroad, 1985–1993 (b. 1923). [29]

May deaths

May 28 - Benjamin Biaggini, chairman and CEO of the Southern Pacific Company (parent company of Southern Pacific Railroad) 1964–1983 (b. 1916) [30]

References

BBC News (June 22 2005), Swiss rail network grinds to halt. Retrieved June 22 2005.
BBC News (January 17 2005), Thai subway shut for safety probe. Retrieved January 19 2005.
Bulgarian News Network (April 13 2005), Bulgaria Licenses Private Railroad Carrier. Retrieved April 13 2005.
Bull Sheet Monthly News
Canadian Pacific Railway (March 14 2005), Canadian Pacific Railway to acquire first hybrid locomotives. Retrieved March 17 2005.
CBS/AP (January 26 2005), Parked car caused train wreck. Retrieved January 26 2005.
Federal Railroad Administration (March 18 2005), Federal Railroad Administration Changes Effective Date of Interim Final Rule on Use of Train Horns. Retrieved March 21 2005.
Federal Railroad Administration, US DOT (June 1, 2005), Joseph H. Boardman Begins Role as New Administrator for Federal Railroad Administration With Focus on Rail Safety and Intercity Passenger Rail Reform. Retrieved June 6, 2005.
General Motors (January 12 2005), GM Agrees To Sell Electro-Motive Division. Retrieved January 12 2005.
Genesee and Wyoming, Inc. (May 26, 2005), Genesee & Wyoming Announces Agreement to Acquire Short Line and Port Railroads from Rail Management Corporation. Retrieved May 27, 2005.
Kansas City Southern Industries (April 1, 2005), Kansas City Southern Announces Closing of TFM Transaction; Naming of TFM Interim CEO. Retrieved May 26, 2005.
Loy, Wesley, Anchorage Daily News (April 30 2005), Frank Turpin, railroad, oil leader, dies. Retrieved May 4 2005.
Molloy, Tim; Associated Press (January 26 2005), Suicide try triggers California commuter rail tragedy, police say. Retrieved January 26 2005.
MoneyPlans.net (June 4, 2005), World-class railroad service promised for India. Retrieved June 4, 2005.
Nguyen, Daisy; Associated Press (January 26 2005), 9 killed as suburban L.A. trains derail. Retrieved January 26 2005.
(May 2005), Obituaries, Trains Magazine, p. 21.
Payvand's Iran News (May 3 2005), Iranian President inaugurates Mashhad-Bafq railroad. Retrieved May 3 2005.
RIA Novosti (June 13, 2005), Railroad traffic restored. Retrieved June 13, 2005. Details bomb on Russian railroad, June 12.
SwissInfo (June 22 2005), Swiss train network shuts down. Retrieved June 22 2005.

Associated Press references

(January 17 2005), 200 hurt in Bangkok subway crash. Retrieved January 19 2005.
(June 2, 2005), Railroad strike upsets train service around France, causing rush-hour havoc. Retrieved June 2, 2005.

Trains News Wire references

(June 2, 2005), Benjamin Biaggini, SP president from 1964 to 1983, dies. Retrieved June 3, 2005.
(February 28 2005), Bombardier awarded Chinese passenger car contract. Retrieved March 10 2005.
(March 3 2005), Dispatcher walkout snarls BNSF. Retrieved March 10 2005.
(May 26, 2005), G&W to acquire Rail Management Corp. rail operations. Retrieved May 27, 2005.
(April 27 2005), �Miss Southern Belle� dies. Retrieved May 4 2005.
(March 31 2005), Paul Stringham dies: Illinois rail photographer, historian, and author. Retrieved April 7 2005.
(April 29 2005), Swiss complete digging Alpine tunnel. Retrieved May 4 2005.
(March 9 2005), Vernon L. Smith, retired railroader and author, dies. Retrieved March 10 2005.