1950 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1950.

Events

January 26 - To provide an all-India rail route to Assam following the Partition of India, the Northeast Frontier Railway opens to passengers a new line between Kishanganj and Fakiragram (229 km (142 mi)) on which construction commenced only on January 26, 1948; also, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, India, commences steam locomotive production.^[1]

February 5 - The first diesel locomotive to pull a freight train on the San Diego and Arizona Railway begins its journey from El Centro, California, on a trial run.^[2]
February 6 - A labor strike by United Mine Workers causes shortages of bituminous coal encouraging New England railroads to accelerate replacement of steam locomotives with diesel-electric locomotives.^[3]
February 10 - Canadian National Railway gains control of Temiscouata Railway in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick.^[4]
February 17 - A head-on collision between two Long Island Rail Road commuter trains in Rockville Centre, New York kills 32 and injures 158.

March 2 - The Nickel Plate Road runs its first mainline freight train powered by diesel locomotives, as two yard switchers are pressed into service to handle a train from Peru, Indiana, to Michigan City.

May 6 - Pacific Electric quits the Los Angeles to San Bernardino railway post office, the last interurban RPO in the United States.
May 7-8 Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Bay Trestle erupts in a major fire between The Raunt and Broad Channel stations, destroying the bridge over Jamaica Bay, and leading to the eventual decline of the Rockaway Beach Branch five years later.^[5]
May - ALCO introduces the ALCO RS-3.

July 13 - The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) officially ceases operations.

August 1 - Indian Railways takes over most remaining state railways.^[1]
August 8 - Illinois Central retires the Green Diamond passenger trainset from active service; the trainset will soon be scrapped.
August 22 - Canada's railroad workers go on strike, crippling operations across the country.
August 27 - United States President Harry Truman orders the Army to take control of U.S. railroads to prevent a strike.

September 15 - The first diesel locomotives produced at General Motors Electro-Motive Division's London, Ontario, works are delivered to the Canadian Pacific Railway.
September 30 - Tasmanian Government Railways introduces X class into service, the first mainline diesel-electric locomotives purchased by an Australian government railway system.^[6]

November 21 – Canoe River train crash: A Canadian National Railway train carrying Korea-bound troops is given incorrect orders and collides with a passenger train at Canoe River (British Columbia), killing 21, including 17 soldiers.
November 22 – The Kew Gardens train crash in New York City kills 79, and injures hundreds more.^[7]
November 30 – Baldwin Locomotive Works becomes Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation.

Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy, opens new Roma Termini railway station.
First section of Stockholm Metro (Stockholms T-bana, Sweden) opened by conversion of the underground tram line from Slussen to Hökarängen.
Work on electrification of Saint Petersburg Railway Division of the Oktyabrskaya Railway, Russia begins.^[8]

MichiganRailroads.com (2005), Railroad History Timeline - 1950. Retrieved June 13, 2005.
(August 16, 2005), Significant dates in Canadian railway history. Retrieved August 22, 2005.