1905 in rail transport
Events
January events
- January 30 - The Halifax and South Western Railway opens, connecting Halifax to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
- January 31 - New York Central and Hudson River Railroad officially takes control of Ottawa and New York Railway.
March events
- March 21 - Construction begins on the Apalachicola Northern Railroad in Florida.
April events
- April - Ralph Peters becomes president of the Long Island Rail Road
- April 1 - Nippon Railroad Line, Nippori of Tokyo via Taira Station to Iwanuma of Miyagi Prefecture route officially completed in Japan.
- April 26 - The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad signs an agreement to operate over the California Southern Railroad's track through Cajon Pass via trackage rights.
June events
- June 11 - The Pennsylvania Railroad inaugurates the fastest freight train schedule in the world, operating between Chicago, Illinois, and New York City in 18 hours.
- June 12 - Pennsylvania Railroad's passenger train Pennsylvania Special sets a speed record between Chicago and New York City, travelling at 127.2 mph.
- June 21 - The New York Central Railroad's flagship passenger train, the 20th Century Limited, is derailed in an apparent act of sabotage in Mentor, Ohio, killing 21.
July events
- July 1 - The three principal railway companies in Italy are brought together with a number of private operators into the nationalised Ferrovie dello Stato.
- July 8 - Death Valley Scotty pays US$5,500 in cash to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway general passenger agent J. J. Byrne to charter the Scott Special.
- July 9 - The Scott Special, an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway passenger train chartered by Death Valley Scotty for US$5,500, departs Los Angeles, on its record breaking run to Chicago, in just under 45 hours.
- July 11 - The Scott Special arrives at Dearborn Station in Chicago, 44 hours and 54 minutes after departing Los Angeles.
- July 27 - The Hall Road rail accident near Liverpool in England kills 21 people.
August events
- August 9 - Heath Park Halt, the terminus for passenger services on the Nickey line in England, opens.
- August 22 - The Portland and Seattle Railway is incorporated.
September events
- September 1 - The Witham rail crash in England kills 11.
- September 9 - Construction begins on the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada.
- September 12 - Opening of the Victoria Falls Bridge across the Zambezi River as part of the projected Cape-Cairo railway.
October events
- October 15 - Rail line completed in the Sudan from Atbara to the Red Sea at Suakin; also, the Syria Ottoman Railway's Jezreel Valley railway completing a through rail link between Haifa and Damascus.
- October 29 - Circum-Baikal Railway brought into permanent operation in the Russian Empire, completing through rail communication on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
- October 31 - Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway property purchased by Government of India.
November events
- November 3 - The Englewood branch of the old South Side Elevated system of the Chicago 'L' opens between 59th Street junction and State Street.
Unknown date events
- Construction begins on the Tidewater Railway in Virginia.
- Indian Railways Board set up.
- ALCO purchases rival steam locomotive manufacturer Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works.
- American Car & Foundry acquires Indianapolis Car and Foundry and Indianapolis Car Company.
Births
January births
- January 17 - Louis Armand, French railway engineer, manager and resistance fighter.
- January 21 - Oswald Nock, English railway author and signalling engineer.
Deaths
February deaths
- February 8 - Jay Cooke, American financier who built the Northern Pacific Railway.
September deaths
- September 4 - William Dean, Chief Mechanical Engineer of Great Western Railway of England 1877-1902.
December deaths
- December 14 - Herman Haupt, American railroad civil engineer.
- December 29 - Charles Tyson Yerkes, American financier of rapid transit systems in Chicago and London.