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In rail transport, a train is a vehicle or (more frequently) a string of vehicles capable of being moved along a continuous line of rails or other guideway for the purpose of conveying freight or passengers between points on a predetermined route. The train may be hauled or propelled by one or more vehicles designed exclusively for that purpose (locomotives) or may be driven by a number of motors incorporated in all or several of the vehicles (multiple units).
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- ...that although the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge RM class 'Vulcan' railcar continues to hold the official New Zealand rail speed record of 125.5 km/h (78.0 mph), unofficially it has been claimed that JA class steam locomotives attained higher speeds?
- ...that the Brunswick Line is the only MARC Commuter Rail line to utilize ex-Metra Pullman Gallery cars, since it's the only MARC line to use all low-level platforms on the main line between Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.?
- ...that in the original design for SNCF's BB 60000 class, the locomotives were to be powered with an MTU engine, as those engines were used in BB69400 and BB75000 locomotives and had a good performance, but the MTU engine was replaced with one from Caterpillar due to financial reasons?
- ...that Sandsfoot Castle Halt, opened in July 1909 as part of a scheme that saw several halts opened on the GWR and other railways to counter road competition, and closed with the branch in 1952, remains as a timber platform on the Rodwell Trail?
2009 in rail transport
- July news · June news · May news
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June 29 Southeastern starts running a weekday preview service of Class 395 Hitachi "Javelin" dual-voltage electric multiple unit trains over High Speed 1 in the south of England between London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International, most extending to Ashford International. (Southeastern)
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June 29 – The Viareggio train accident occurs at the rail station in the seaside town of Viareggio, Tuscany, central Italy, when one tank car of a 14-car freight train carrying liquified petroleum gas from La Spezia to Pisa derails and explodes, killing fifteen local residents and injuring over 50 shortly before midnight local time (22:00 UTC). (BBC)
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June 22 – Two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains collide during the afternoon rush hour in Northeast Washington, D.C. in the United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it, causing its lead car to telescope, and causing the deaths of the train operator and eight passengers. Several survivors were trapped for hours, and 80 were injured. See also: 2009 Washington Metro train collision. (CNN) (Washington Post) (NBC) (BBC) (WTOP)
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May 8 – Following a period of heavy flooding Companhia Vale do Rio Doce declares force majeure on its closed 905 km (562 mi) Carajás line in northern Brazil. The severe weather closed the line on May 4 and may further force the company to stop all mineral shipments from the Carajás Mine and to extend the force majeure to export contracts for a few months. Approximately 43 percent of Vale's total iron ore production originates from the Carajás Mine. (Bloomberg)
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April 30 – British transport secretary Geoff Hoon presides over ceremonies to officially open Corby railway station following a £9 million renovation. Preliminary service at the station began on February 23, 2009, with East Midlands Trains operating one train per day; the station now serves hourly passenger trains between Corby and London. (TCE)
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April 29 – The United States Senate confirms the nomination of Joe Szabo to become the new Administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Szabo, who succeeds Joseph H. Boardman, the recently appointed president of Amtrak, is the first FRA Administrator to be chosen from the ranks of railroad employment. Szabo's first railroad job began in 1976 with the Illinois Central Railroad as a switchman; he most recently served as Illinois state legislative director for the United Transportation Union (UTU). An informal swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held on May 5 to enable Szabo to begin work immediately with an official ceremony to be scheduled at a future date. (BLET) (UTU)
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