2011 in rail transport
Encyclopedia
January events
- 10 January
– Regular through passenger service from WuhanWuhanWuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
to Wanzhou over the complete new Yiwan RailwayYiwan RailwayThe Yichang–Wanzhou Railway, or the Yiwan Railway connects the cities of Yichang and Wanzhou via Lichuan, in the central People's Republic of China. It was completed in 2010, and will be part of the future Huhanrong Passenger Dedicated Line from Shanghai to Wuhan to Chengdu...
in China starts. The line features 288 km (179 mi) of bridges on a total length of 377 km (234.3 mi).
February events
- 19 February – First public passenger train operates throughout between CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and Porthmadog HarbourPorthmadog Harbour railway stationPorthmadog Harbour station in North Wales is the southern passenger terminus of two narrow gauge railways: the Ffestiniog Railway, which was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea, and the Welsh Highland Railway, built in 1923, which runs to...
over the restored Welsh Highland RailwayWelsh Highland RailwayThe Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
. - 28 February
– WabtecWabtecWabtec Corporation is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999....
announces that it has acquired Brush TractionBrush TractionThis article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
, the English-based locomotive builder and maintainer, for US$31 million.
March events
- 13 March
– Kyushu ShinkansenKyushu ShinkansenThe ' is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Kyushu, running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . The southern 127 km opened on 13 March 2004...
opens between HakataHakata StationHakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...
of FukuokaFukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
and Shin-Yatsushiro, with OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kagoshima direct bullet train starting. – Sassenheim railway stationSassenheim railway stationSassenheim is a planned railway station in Sassenheim, The Netherlands.-History:The station is set to open in December 2011. The station lies on the Schiphollijn and is located between Nieuw-Vennep and Leiden Centraal. The station will have 2 platforms...
opens in the Netherlands.
May events
- 1 May
– Veendam railway stationVeendam railway stationVeendam is a railway station in Veendam, The Netherlands. The station reopened on 1 May 2011, when the Veendam–Zuidbroek section of the Stadskanaal–Zuidbroek railway was reopened to passenger services. The line is operated by Arriva and served by stopping trains from Groningen...
opens in the Netherlands. - 1 May – Tide Light RailTide Light RailThe Tide is a light rail line in Norfolk, Virginia, connecting Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State University, and Newtown Road. Service began on August 19, 2011....
begins service in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
June events
– A-TrainA-train (Denton County Transportation Authority)
The A-train is a commuter rail line in Denton County, Texas, United States that parallels Interstate 35E and acts as an extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton. It is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority and serves Denton...
commuter rail service begins in northern Texas. – Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway opens in China.
July events
- 23 July – Wenzhou train collisionWenzhou train collisionOn 23 July 2011, two high-speed trains travelling on the Yongtaiwen railway line collided on a viaduct in the suburbs of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The two trains derailed each other, and four cars fell off the viaduct...
: At least 39 people are killed when a China Railway High-speedChina Railway High-speedChina Railway High-speed ; ) is the high-speed rail system operated by China Railways.Hexie Hao is the designation for high-speed trains running on this rail system. At the middle of the run, all trains were marked "CRH" on the centre of the head vehicle and the side of the walls of each vehicle...
train collides in rear with a preceding stationary train halted by a lightning strikeLightning strikeLightning strikes are electrical discharges caused by lightning, typically during thunderstorms.Humans can be hit by lightning directly when outdoors. Contrary to popular notion, there is no 'safe' location outdoors. People have been struck in sheds and makeshift shelters...
, throwing two coaches off a viaductViaductA viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
close to WenzhouWenzhouWenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
in Zhejiang province.
August events
- 7 August – Mid-Jordan LineMid-Jordan LineThe Red Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. It originally opened in December 2001 as the Sandy/University Line, running from the University of Utah to the city of Sandy, and was later rerouted to South Jordan and renamed the Red Line in August 2011...
and West Valley LineWest Valley LineThe Green Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in Salt Lake County, Utah. It opened on August 7, 2011, and runs between the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub and the West Valley Intermodal Hub, servicing a total of 15 stations: 10 in Salt Lake City, one in South Salt Lake, and four in West...
open in the Salt Lake City area. - 19 August
– The first line of the Jerusalem Light RailJerusalem Light RailThe Jerusalem Light Rail is a light rail line, the first of several rapid transit lines planned by Israel for Jerusalem, Israel's capital city. Construction began in 2002 and ended in 2010, when the testing phase began. It was built by the CityPass consortium, which has a 30-year concession to...
opens to passengers. It runs from Pisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'ev , is an Israeli settlement and a residential neighborhood with a population of 50,000 located in northern East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disputes this...
in the northeast, south along Road 60 to Jaffa RoadJaffa RoadJaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...
(Rehov Yaffo). From there, it runs along Jaffa Road westward to the Jerusalem Central Bus StationJerusalem Central Bus StationThe Jerusalem Central Bus Station is the main bus depot in Jerusalem, Israel and one of the busiest bus stations in the country. Located on Jaffa Road near the entrance to the city, it serves Egged, Superbus and Dan intercity bus routes...
, and continues to the southwest, crossing the Chords BridgeChords BridgeThe Jerusalem Chords Bridge or Jerusalem Bridge of Strings , also called the Jerusalem Light Rail Bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem, Israel designed by the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The bridge is used by Jerusalem Light...
designed by Santiago CalatravaSantiago CalatravaSantiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
, along Herzl Boulevard to Beit HaKerem and terminates near Mount HerzlMount HerzlMount Herzl , also Har HaZikaron , is the national cemetery of Israel on the west side of Jerusalem. It is named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. Herzl's tomb lies at the top of the hill. Yad Vashem, which commemorates the Holocaust, lies to the west of Mt. Herzl....
. - 31 August – Opening of Docklands Light RailwayDocklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
extension from Canning TownCanning Town stationCanning Town station is an inter-modal transport interchange in Canning Town, northeast London, England. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway and local buses operated for London Buses. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...
to the new Stratford International stationStratford International stationStratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
, taking over the North London LineNorth London LineThe North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
infrastructure (which closed on 9 December 2006) and linking the Docklands area with domestic and international high-speed services on High Speed 1 and with the 2012 Olympic Games site.
October events
- 8 October
– The Circle MRT LineCircle MRT LineThe Circle Line is Singapore's fourth Mass Rapid Transit line, operated by SMRT Corporation. This underground line is currently long with 28 stations and is fully automatically operated...
becomes fully operational.
December events
- 28 December – – Hangzhou MetroHangzhou MetroHangzhou Metro is a metro system currently under construction to serve the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang and its suburbs. The construction commenced in March 2006, and is expected to complete by October 1, 2012....
opens in China – Hangyong Passenger RailwayHangyong Passenger RailwayHangyong Passenger Railway is a planned railway between Hangzhou and Ningbo, that spans approximately 150 kilometers, with a design speed of . It is currently under construction, and is scheduled to open in December 2011....
opens in China. – Utrecht Leidsche Rijn railway stationUtrecht Leidsche Rijn railway stationUtrecht Leidsche Rijn is a planned railway station in west Utrecht, The Netherlands.-History:The station is set to open in 2011. The station lies on the Utrecht–Rotterdam railway and is located between Utrecht Centraal and Utrecht Terwijde. The station is primarily for the housing areas, Parkwijk...
opens in the Netherlands.
Unknown date events
– Zhengzhou East Railway StationZhengzhou East Railway Station
The Zhengzhou East Railway Station , also known as New Zhengzhou Railway Station is a future high speed passenger railway station in Zhengzhou, Henan, China. It is located approximately 3km southeast of the International Conventional and Exhibition Center in the Zhengzhou East New Area, between...
opens in Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, China. – Rail service begins to Warsaw Chopin Airport. – Opening of Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
extension to Dagenham Dock in London, England. – Revenue service on JR East's new mainline between Hachinohe
Hachinohe, Aomori
- Neighbouring municipalities :Aomori Prefecture*Sannohe District**Hashikami**Gonohe**Nanbu*Kamikita District**OiraseIwate Prefecture*Karumai-History:...
and Shin-Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
in Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan, begins. – The 594 km (369.1 mi) long high speed railway between Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Izmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
opens. – The 455 km (282.7 mi) long high speed railway between Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Sivas opens. – The aging Hitachi
Hitachi (train)
Hitachi is the name given for one of a set of electric multiple unit trains that operate on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Introduced to service in 1972, the trains are the oldest in the city's suburban fleet still in revenue service...
trains in Melbourne are completely phased out. – The Asker Line completed from Sandvika
Sandvika Station
Sandvika Station is a railway station located in downtown Sandvika in Bærum, Akershus, Norway. The station serves as a local public transport hub and is located on the Asker Line and the Drammen Line. The station was opened with the Drammen Line in 1872. In 2005 the Asker Line opened allowing...
to Lysaker
Lysaker Station
Lysaker Station is Norway's third-largest railway station, located at Lysaker on the Drammen Line. It serves express, regional, local and Airport Express trains. The station opened in 1872, and is located west of Oslo S at elevation...
. – The double track section between Tønsberg
Tønsberg Station
Tønsberg Station on the Vestfold Line, is the main railway station in the town of Tønsberg in Vestfold, Norway. The station is located in the downtown area, to the east of the hill Slottsfjellet. It is located at an altitude of above mean sea level, and is from Oslo Central Station...
and Barkåker on the Vestfold Line opens. – The Gevingåsen Tunnel
Gevingåsen Tunnel
Gevingåsen Tunnel is a railway tunnel under construction between Hommelvik and Hell, Norway, on the Nordland Line. Blasting was started in 2009, and the tunnel is scheduled for completion in 2011 at a cost of...
opens.
North America
2011 E. H. Harriman Awards| Group | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | |||
| B | |||
| C | |||
| S&T |
Awards presented by Railway Age
Railway Age
Railway Age is an American trade journal for the rail transport industry. It was founded in 1856 in Chicago and is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. The magazine's original title was the Western Railroad Gazette, and was renamed the Railroad Gazette in 1870...
magazine
- 2011 Railroader of the YearRailroader of the YearRailroader of the Year is an annual award presented to a North American railroad industry worker by trade journal Railway Age. The award was first presented in 1964 by trade journal Modern Railroads and has continued through the magazine acquisition in 1992 to the present.Past recipients of this...
: Wick MoormanCharles MoormanCharles W. "Wick" Moorman is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Norfolk Southern; he succeeded David R. Goode on February 1, 2006. The action was taken by Norfolk Southern’s board of directors...
(NS) - 2011 Regional Railroad of the YearRegional Railroad of the YearThe Regional Railroad of the Year is an annual award given to exemplary North American regional railroads by rail transport industry publication Railway Age...
: - 2011 Short Line Railroad of the YearShort Line Railroad of the YearThe Short Line Railroad of the Year is an annual award presented to North American short line railroads by rail transport industry publication Railway Age.Past recipients of this award are:* 1992 - RailTex...
:
Deaths
- 15 January – Francesco di Majo, designer of the PendolinoPendolinoPendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
(b. 1910). - 20 October – Roger TallonRoger Tallon- Biography :After studying as an engineer , Tallon was employed by Caterpillar France and DuPont. In 1953, he joined Technès, the technical and aesthetic studies office founded in 1949 by the father of industrial aesthetics Jacques Viénot, and Jean Parthenay...
, designer of the TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
(b. 1929).