2019 in rail transport



Events

January

January 2 – Great Belt Bridge train accident: A DSB passenger train hits a semi-trailer from a freight train in a storm on the Great Belt Fixed Link, killing 8.January 8 – Mountain View train collision: Two passenger trains collide at Mountain View station in Pretoria, killing at least 4 and injuring at least 620.January 10 – TEXRail commences regular revenue service. A January 4 opening was suspended due to signal issues identified during an inspection less than 12 hours before service was scheduled to begin.January 26 – Los Angeles Metro Rail Blue Line Improvements Project begins, which upgrades signalling and infrastructure on large sections of the line with closures of up to eight months. The line resumes normal operation on November 2, but rechristened as the A Line.

February

February 11 – After a 15 year hiatus, the BART SFO–Millbrae line restarts weekday operations, reestablishing a one-seat ride between Caltrain and San Francisco International Airport.February 15 – Vande Bharat Express is inaugurated for public service.February 17 – Newcastle Light Rail in Newcastle, New South Wales, is opened.February 25 – Wabtec and GE Transportation are formally merged to become a global leader in railroad manufacturing and specializing in railroad-related services.February 27 – Ramses Station rail disaster: An Egyptian National Railways train buffer stop collision and subsequent fire kills at least 25 people at Ramses Station in Cairo.

March

March 2 – All Amtrak California Pacific Surfliner EMD F59PHI units leave from service to Metra in ChicagoMarch 8 – Nagpur Metro's orange line began service.March 24 – Opening of Jakarta MRT Phase 1, the first rapid transit system in Indonesia.March 29 – JR East phases out 183 series.

April

April 10 – Harbin Metro Line 1 was extended south to Xinjiang Street.April 20 – Light rail in Canberra starts operations; it is the second new light railway to be opened in Australia in 2019.April 22 – Ceremony to mark work on reinstating the rail link across the Cambodian-Thai border between Aranyaprathet and Poipet.

May

May 1

June

June 3 – Charlotte's CityLynx Gold Line ceases operation for upgrades to the line, which include new rolling stock, raised platforms at stops to accommodate level boarding, and extensions to the north and south with 11 new stations. A Rail replacement bus service is offered in the interim.June 9 – Go-Ahead Germany commences operating.June 11 – A train on the MBTA Red Line derails near JFK/UMass station in Boston, Massachusetts due to a fractured axle. Delays and unusual transfer patterns persist along the line for months following the incident.June 21 – Opening of Ion rapid transit LRT.June 23 – Opening of Lanzhou Metro.June 28 – Sydney Trains retires its last S set electric multiple units.June 30 – East Midlands franchise orders bi-mode trains, designated British Rail Class 810.

July

July 11 – Sadiqabad Railway Accident.July 27 – Re-opening of Caen tramway.

August

August - Indian Railways introduces India's first bi-mode locomotive, the WDAP-5.August 18 - East Midlands franchise passes from East Midlands Trains to East Midlands Railway.August 26 - The Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad, one of America’s few electric freight railroads, closes.

September

September 2 - Limmattal light rail line phase 1 opens over of track with seven stops.September 7 - Altamont Corridor Express begins weekend service.September 14 – The Confederation Line opens as part of the O-Train network in Ottawa, Ontario.September 28

October

October 3 – 'Soft launch' of Metro Express (Mauritius) light rail system, Phase 1, the first passenger rail transport on the island since 1956.October 12 – Typhoon Hagibis results in flood, damaging ten trains of Hokuriku Shinkansen stored at Nagano City.October 18 – 2019 Santiago protests: After a week of fare-dodging protests following a fare increase on the Santiago Metro, thousands of protestors clash with police across Santiago in Chile and subway service is suspended in the entire city; these events trigger more widespread protests including damage to subway stations.October 25 – Line 11 of Moscow metro is temporarily closed until becoming part of the Moscow Central Diameter.October 28–31 – Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit services are cancelled on October 28 and 29 due to the preemptive 2019 California power shutoffs affecting crossings throughout the system. Partial service as far north as Downtown Santa Rosa is restored on the 30th and full service resume the following day. Free rides are offered from October 30 until November 6 to provide transportation alternatives following the Kincade Fire.October 30 – Line 3 of the Rio de Janeiro Light Rail is completed, opening for revenue service and completing the initial system.October 31 – 2019 Pakistan train fire: A Pakistan Railways Tezgam express on the Karachi–Peshawar Line catches fire at Liaquatpur Tehsil in Punjab, Pakistan, killing at least 74 people; early reports blame the blaze on the illegal use of portable stoves by passengers cooking on board.

November

November 8 – China–Europe freight trains through subsea Marmaray tunnel.November 12 – Mondobhag train collisionNovember 21 – Opening of the first line of Moscow Central Diameters network in Moscow. Some lines that were previously located independently are connected.

December

December 1 – The first phase of the Jakarta LRT, from to, begins commercial operationsDecember 6 – The Great Southern long-distance passenger train begins regular service between Adelaide and Brisbane.December 8