1998 in rail transport
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| 1997, 1998, 1999 |
| Years in rail transport |
| 1997 in rail transport 1998 in rail transport 1999 in rail transport |
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1998.
Contents |
[edit] Events
[edit] February events
- February 14 - A freight train passing through Yaounde, Cameroon, collides with another freight; some tank cars carrying fuel oil are ruptured in the derailment. The oil is ignited by a lit cigarette causing a flash fire and an explosion when the flames reach the tank cars, killing 120 people. See: Yaounde train explosion.
- February 20 - The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad files an application with the Surface Transportation Board to build new railroad track to haul coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.
[edit] April events
- April 1 - British trainload freight operator EWS takes over rail operations of National Power.
- April 27 - Spain's Madrid Metro opens the section between Esperanza and Mar de Cristal on Line 4.
[edit] June events
- June 3 - The Eschede train disaster, the worst railroad accident in German history, occurs when a wheel on the high speed InterCityExpress breaks; the derailed train's forward momentum caused it to slam into a bridge pier which increased the damage to the train and caused a higher injury toll than would otherwise have occurred.
- June 6 - The majority of Conrail's railroad assets are split between CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern.
- June 19 - The government of Panama relinquishes control of the Panama Railway to the Panama Canal Railway Company, a subsidiary of Kansas City Southern.
- June 23 - Road-rail (dual gauge) Jamuna bridge opened, connecting the previously isolated east and west networks of Bangladesh Railway.[1]
[edit] September events
- September - Construction begins to convert the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel in Alaska from rail traffic only to combined rail and highway traffic.
[edit] October events
- October 8 - Norways first high-speed railway, Gardermobanen between Oslo S via Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Eidsvoll, opens.
- October 18 - The Altamont Commuter Express begins regional commuter rail service between Stockton in California's Central Valley and San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area.
[edit] November events
- November 9 - The St. Thomas and Eastern Railway begins operations on a former Canadian National Railway branch line between St. Thomas and Delhi, Ontario.
- November 20 - The Okanagan Valley Railway begins operations on the former Canadian Pacific Railway branch between Sicamous and Kelowna, British Columbia.
[edit] December events
- December - Railways in Germany are attacked by the extortionist Klaus-Peter Sabotta. An InterCity Express line is sabotaged (but the train does not derail), while a freight train is derailed near Anklam.
- December 5 - Trinity Railway Express in Texas adds Saturday train schedules to its timetables and begins operating the first regular Saturday trains.[2]
- December 10 - The Surface Transportation Board gives preliminary approval to Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's application to build into the Powder River Basin, pending completion of an Environmental Impact Statement.
[edit] Unknown date events
- Canadian National Railway acquires the Illinois Central, giving the CN direct access to the Gulf of Mexico port of New Orleans, Louisiana.
- The former Lima Locomotive Works erecting shed and heavy Shay locomotive shops are razed.
[edit] Deaths
[edit] September deaths
- September 9 - James B. McCahey, Jr., president of Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (b. 1920).[3]
[edit] Awards
[edit] North America
| Group | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | |||
| C | |||
| S&T |
- Awards presented by Railway Age magazine
- 1998 Railroader of the Year: David R. Goode (NS)
- 1998 Regional Railroad of the Year: Texas Mexican Railway
- 1998 Short Line Railroad of the Year: St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
[edit] References
- Colin Churcher's Railway Pages (August 16 2005), Significant dates in Canadian railway history. Retrieved November 8 and November 20 2005.
- ^ Choudhury, Iqbaluddin; Rahman, Mostafizur (2002). "Jamuna bridge and dual-gauging unite the BR network". Railway Gazette International 158: 326-7.
- ^ Trinity Railway Express, Trinity Railway Express Facts. Retrieved December 5 2005.
- ^ The Political Graveyard (March 10 2005), Politicians in Railroading in Illinois. Retrieved December 30 2005.
fr:1998 dans les chemins de fer
