December 2007 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in December 2007.

Events

December 4

• – The United States Supreme Court issues a unanimous decision in a suit brought by CSX Transportation against the state of Georgia. CSX alleged that the method that Georgia used to assess the railroad's property value within the state was improper. Lower courts agreed with the state, citing the 1976 Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act but the Supreme Court disagreed saying the act "prohibits States from discriminating against railroads by taxing railroad property more heavily than other commercial property in the State."^[1][2]

December 5

• – Norfolk Southern Railway begins testing of a new type of level crossing barrier in Michigan that is hoped will reduce the number of times drivers attempt to drive around lowered crossing gates. The new devices are called "delineators" consisting of a series of flexible cylinders that rise out of vertical tubes in the pavement when the crossing signal is activated. The delineators are designed so that they will not be broken and will not damage vehicles if they are hit, allowing vehicles to exit the level crossing if they are already within it when the gates are activated. The test period for the new barrier will run for a period of 17 months.^[3][4]

December 7

• – Officials with the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway Company in the People's Republic of China solicit bids for consulting and construction contracts valued at $21 billion for a proposed new high-speed rail line to connect Beijing and Shanghai. International firms are invited to bid on the consulting contracts while domestic firms in China are invited to bid on the construction contracts. At 1,318 kilometres (819 mi), the new line is projected to become the longest high-speed rail line in the world when it opens; construction is expected to begin in January 2008 and to be completed in five years.^[5]
• – Nigerian President Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua submits a proposed 2008 national budget that removes payment of an $8.3 billion contract to modernise the nation's railway system. President Yar'Adua cited irregularities in the way the contract was awarded and initially funded as his reasons for the omission. The contract was awarded to CCECC, a Chinese firm, by past president Olusegun Obasanjo, and $250 million was paid to the firm in March 2007. On receiving the proposed budget, members of House of Representatives Committee on Transport visited the CCECC facilities in Idu Karimu to see how the money was spent.^[6]

December 11

Wikinews has related news: First rail service in 50 years begins across Korean borders

• – The first regular freight train to cross the border between North Korea and South Korea makes its first journey northward to Kaesong. The first train was decorated with flowers and left an inauguration ceremony in Munsan. Regular freight service is scheduled to travel every weekday and is hoped by officials to lead to the resumption of regular passenger train service across the border in the future that could eventually connect with the planned Trans-Asian Railway network.^[7][8]

December 17

• - An extension of Calgary, Alberta's light rail transit system is scheduled to open. The new station and terminus for the Northeast line will be named McKnight-Westwinds

December 18

• - Grand Central Railway, a new open access rail operator in England, inaugurates passenger services from Sunderland via Hartlepool to London King's Cross using an interim timetable until its full rolling stock fleet is available.^[9]

December 19

• - Mehrabpur train derailment occurred shortly after 02:00 local time near the town of Mehrabpur in the Sindh province of Pakistan killing 40 people.

December 24

• – Canadian National Railway (CN) announces its intent to acquire the Athabasca Northern Railway which connects Boyle, north of Edmonton, 202 miles (325 km) to Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada. The sale, valued at $25 million includes a three-year pledge by CN to invest as much as $135 million to rehabilitate the line to the oil sands in order to keep traffic guarantees to shippers in the area.^[10][11]

December 26

• – JR Central announces plans to build what will become the world's longest maglev line in Japan. The first part of the new line, which is planned to be open by 2025, will connect Tokyo to Nagoya, with trains reaching 500 km/h (311 mph) in regular service. The second section of the line is expected to connect Nagoya to Osaka.^[12]

References