This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1996.
January events
- January 6 – A computer-controlled Washington Metro train overruns the platform at the Shady Grove station, colliding with a parked train and fatally injuring the operator.
February events
- February 4 – The first two British passenger train operating companies begin operation of their service franchises as part of the privatisation of British Rail: South West Trains (part of the Stagecoach Group) and Great Western Trains (Great Western Holdings).[1]
- February 9 - 1996 Secaucus train collision: A southbound New Jersey Transit train (Train #1254) bound for Hoboken Terminal collides nearly head-on with a northbound NJ Transit train (Train #1107) heading to Suffern. 3 People are killed.
- February 10 – Woodlands Extension of the MRT North South line in Singapore opened, adding six new stations to the current network.
- February 16 – 1996 Maryland train collision: A Chicago bound Amtrak train, the Capitol Limited, collides with a MARC commuter train bound for Washington, killing 11 people.
- February 19 – Approximately 1,000 passengers are trapped in the Channel Tunnel when two Eurostar trains break down due to electronic failures caused by snow and ice.[2]
- February 24 – The three British trainload freight companies, Loadhaul, Mainline Freight and Transrail, are acquired by North & South Railways, a subsidiary of Wisconsin Central, as part of the privatisation of British Rail.[3]
March events
- March 4 – Weyauwega, Wisconsin derailment: A Wisconsin Central freight train derails on a broken switch in Weyauwega, Wisconsin. The derailment forces the evacuation of the entire town until March 20 while fire crews work to control the resulting blaze.
- March 15 – Amtrak selects the "American Flyer" design developed by Bombardier and Alstom, based on the TGV trains of France, as the design model for its Acela rolling stock.
- March 18 – SNCF begins a construction project to renew the track ballast on the Paris-Lyon TGV line; the project is expected to last through 2006.
- March 20
- March 28
- March 30
- Opening of the first 4.9 km (3.0 mi) section of the Rinkai Line between Shin-Kiba and Tokyo Teleport stations in Tokyo, Japan.[5]
- In Seoul, South Korea, a branch of Line 5 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is opened from Macheon to Gangdong (6.9 km (4.3 mi)).[4] At this point, trains operate from Wangsinmi to Sangil-dong or Macheon, branching from Gangdong.
- March – Government of Guatemala suspends operation on the entire 885 km (550 mi) Ferrocarriles de Guatemala network.[6]
May events
- May 4 – Purchase by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad of the former Chicago & North Western branch lines from Rapid City, South Dakota to Colony, Wyoming and Crawford, Nebraska becomes effective.
- May 12 – The Green Line of the Chicago Transit Authority elevated and subway rail system, returns to service after a 2 year reconstruction period. Many stations were still incomplete, while six other stations (including, Halsted, Homan, 58th, 61st, Racine, and University) were closed permanently.
- May 17 – Canadian National's Beachburg Subdivision between Pembroke and Nipissing, 126 miles (203 km) of track which traversed Algonquin Provincial Park, is officially abandoned.[8]
- May 20 – The British railway infrastructure management company, Railtrack, is privatised, being floated on the London Stock Exchange with shares worth 360p.[9]
- May 26 – Further British train operating companies begin operation of their passenger service franchises in England as part of the privatisation of British Rail: Connex South Central and LTS Rail (a subsidiary of Prism Rail).[1]
November events
- November 18 – Channel Tunnel fire seriously damaging 200 m of the tunnel's lining.
- November 21 – Limited freight service in the Channel Tunnel resumes while construction crews make repairs at the location of the fire three days earlier.
- November 23 – In Seoul, South Korea, Line 8 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is opened from Jamsil to Moran (13.1 km (8.1 mi)).[4]
May deaths
- May 9 – Carl Fallberg, cartoonist who created Fiddletown & Copperopolis (born 1915).[19]
WC group buys British freight services Railway Age March 1996 page 24
"개요 및 연혁" [Overview and History]. seoulmetro.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
"企業情報" [Company Information]. twr.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
Terada, Hirokazu (January 19, 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 56. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
プロトタイプの世界 – Prototype World (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. December 2005. p. 60. OCLC 170056962.
McDonnell, Greg (April 1997). "In Canada, finis for 40-footers". Trains Magazine. 57 (4): 17–18.
Oliver, Gordon (August 1, 1996). "MAX takes keys to cool new model". The Oregonian, p. D1.
"Obituary". Trains. 57 (2): 18A. February 1997.