Portal:Trains/Did you know/March 2018

March 2018

A refurbished 2-car ART Mark II train at Kelana Jaya station in 2015

• ...that the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System's Kelana Jaya line was the first fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley area of Malaysia?

A Keisei AE series EMU on the Narita Airport Line in July 2010

• ...that part of the Keisei Narita Airport Line's 51.4-kilometre long (31.9 mi) route was built on disused rights-of-way originally planned for the cancelled Narita Shinkansen project?

A train on the Keio Inokashira Line in 2006

• ...that due to a break of gauge, Keio Corporation's 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Inokashira Line is not physically connected to the 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) gauge Keio Main Line Network?

Keadby Bridge in 2015

• ...that when the first train operated over new Keadby Bridge 1916, becoming the largest bascule bridge in Europe, Joshua Slowan, who had driven the first passenger train across the old bridge, rode on the engine?

New York Central diesel locomotive number 1525 circa 1928

• ...that the Kaufman Electrification Act of 1923 led to a large influx of diesel locomotives onto New York City railroads and hastened dieselisation of the American railroads?

Arisaig station in 1997

• ...that Arisaig railway station in Scotland is the westernmost station on the National Rail network, but it is the only one of the four cardinal points of the national network that is not a terminus?

The platforms at Jurong East station in 2005

• ...that Jurong East station is the only station in Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system with a triple island platform?

Cleanup work from the July 2013 derailment continuing in the narrow rock cut

• ...that the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's report of findings on the July 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment was delayed by its investigation of a derailment of a Metro-North passenger train, which caused the first passenger fatalities in Metro-North's history?

A section of the arches above the PATH tracks at Journal Square in 2010

• ...that passageways were suspended from the arches of Journal Square Transportation Center's PATH station to connect it to bus stops on the bridge deck above?

An E4 series train on a Joetsu Shinkansen Max Tanigawa service in 2017

• ...that despite its name, the Jōetsu Shinkansen line does not pass through Joetsu city, which instead is served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen?

EF64 class locomotive 1049 with an updated Japan Rail Freight livery in 2015

• ...that since their introduction in 1964, there have been no accident-related withdrawals of EF64 locomotives, but the first member of the class was withdrawn in 2003 following the introduction of the JR Freight Class EH200?

A discontinued JFK Express route indicator on a car in Franklin Avenue Shuttle service in 2008

• ...that the premium fare for New York City Subway's JFK Express, which operated from 1978 to 1990, was collected by train conductors on board, who punched the tickets that passengers had to purchase prior to boarding?

A JNR class 150 steam locomotive

• ...that the first classification system for Japanese locomotives was introduced by Francis H. Trevithick, a grandson of Richard Trevithick, while he was employed by the government of Japan for supervision of rolling stock management?

An Isle of Man Railway train at Ramsey station in 1964

• ...that the entire Isle of Man Railway was briefly revived when the Marquess of Ailsa obtained a lease and reopened all three of the railway's routes in 1967?

A train on the Lexington Avenue Line at 125th Street station in 2014

• ...that the average of 1.3 million daily riders on New York City Subway's Lexington Avenue Line is more than the total riderships of the transit systems of San Francisco (452,600 weekday passengers), Chicago (772,900 weekday passengers), and Boston (569,200)?

Ipoh station facade in 2009

• ...that Ipoh railway station, which opened in 1917 in Perak, Malaysia, is affectionately known by locals as the Taj Mahal of Ipoh?

Iowa Northern Railway locomotive in 2011

• ...that Iowa Northern Railway, which was founded in 1981 as one of the first modern short-line railroads in the U.S. state of Iowa, was originally owned by a group of grain elevators located along the line?

A Bombardier Flexity tram for Ion rapid transit

• ...that during public hearings in the planning stages for Ion rapid transit, concerns were raised on its relative service infrequency when compared with rapid transit systems in other cities although it would still outperform the Region's best bus services in capacity and frequency?

A streetcar in Syracuse, New York, in 1909

• ...that in building its interurban and streetcar system, Syracuse, New York, was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt electricity as a transportation motive power?

The International Railway Bridge from the Canadian shore circa 1912

• ...that for the International Railway Bridge across the Niagara River, each of the 12 Pratt truss spans was constructed on floating pontoons which were filled with water to lower the span precisely into place on the bridge piers?

The now disused Ingleton Viaduct in 2003

• ...that Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (L&CR) and Midland Railway could not come to agreement over the sharing of the Midland station at Ingleton for the Ingleton branch line, so the L&CR built its own station at Ingleton at the opposite end of Ingleton Viaduct?

Builder's photo of a class XP locomotive in 1935

• ...that the two experimental class XP 4-6-2 steam locomotives built in 1935 for the Great Indian Peninsula Railway remained in service with Indian Railways through the 1960s?

A special train of preserved rolling stock passes Hammels Wye on the Rockaway Line on its way uptown in 2013

• ...that following its conversion for New York City Subway operation in 1956, trains on the IND Rockaway Line operated slowly across Jamaica Bay in order to conserve power because the necessary substation equipment delivery was delayed due to a strike?

Trams at Immingham Dock station in 1958

• ...that the first track on the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway to be removed after its closure in 1961 was at Dock tramcar station so that the automobile parking area could be increased there?