October 2009 in rail transport

2008, 2009, 2010

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in October 2009.

Events

October 3

– Poughkeepsie Bridge reopens as Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park.^[1]

October 20

– Mathura train accident: At 05:00 local time (01:30 UTC) in near dark conditions near Mathura, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, the Goa Express collides with the stationary Mewar Express from behind at an outer signal, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from outer Mathura. At least ten people were initially feared dead in the incident, while later reports indicated the death toll to be more than double that. The Mewar Express had come to a halt after Munna Sajid, an undertrial who was being escorted by Rajasthan police to his trial location, pulled the chain.^[2]^[3]^[4]

– Cairo train collision: Two southbound passenger trains collide near Giza in Egypt. The two trains were operating on the same track; the train in front stopped to allow an animal, described by various witnesses and officials as either a cow or a water buffalo, to make its way safely across the track while the train in back continued at its normal speed and ran into the rear of the front train. At least 25 people were killed when the trains collided.

October 28

– The Prime Minister of India, Mr Manmohan Singh, flags the first train to depart Anantnag for Qazigund, officially opening the final 18 kilometres (11 mi) of the Kashmir Railway. At 1,722 metres (5,650 ft) above sea level, the Qazigund railway station is the highest broad gauge station in India. Planning for the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge line began in 1997; although the line is currently isolated from the rest of the Indian Railways, connections are planned to integrate it into the system.^[5]