2020 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that are currently scheduled to occur in 2020. Please be aware that the actual dates on which these events occur may differ substantially from what is shown here.

Years in rail transport

2019 in rail transport 2020 in rail transport 2021 in rail transport

Passenger rail ridership plummeted worldwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic; many services were reduced in frequency or discontinued outright.[1]

Events

January

• January 5 - The Carlingford Line in Sydney was permanently closed after 132 years of service for conversion to light rail.[2]
• January 10 - The chords connecting Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan intercity railway and Shimen–Changsha railway opened.[3]
• January 20 - Northern section of Shijiazhuang Metro Line 3 opened.[4]
• January 26 – SEPTA temporarily discontinues the Girard Avenue Trolley in Philadelphia for a period of at least 18 months due to rolling stock maintenance issues as well as track repairs and highway expansion.[5]
• January 29 – NZR V class steam locomotive no. 127 (built in Manchester, England, 1885) is recovered from the Oreti River in New Zealand by the Lumsden Heritage Trust.[6]
• January 31
  • – Thomson–East Coast MRT Line Stage 1 opened.[7]
  • – Opening of Taipei Metro Circular Line (First Section).[8]

February

• February 6 – Livraga derailment: A Frecciarossa train derails at speed at Ospedaletto Lodigiano on the Milan–Bologna line, killing two drivers and injuring 31 passengers.[9]
• February 14 – Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 opened.[10]
• February 20 – Wallan derailment: An XPT derailed while passing a turnout near Wallan, Victoria.[11] There were 2 fatalities and 39 injuries, 3 of which were serious injuries.[12]
• February 29 – Luxembourg introduces free travel on internal public transport, including 2nd class on Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois rail services.[13]

March

• March 1
  • – 700 Series Shinkansen retired from the Tokaido Shinkansen.[14]
  • – Northern Trains, a publicly owned operator of last resort, takes over the Northern passenger train operating franchise in England from Arriva Rail North.[15]
• March 5 – 2020 Ingenheim derailment.
• March 13 – last day of operations for Super View Odoriko services. JR East phrasing out the 251 series
• March 14
  • – Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo commences operation on the Yamanote and Keihin Tohoku Lines.
  • – JR East begins Saphir Odoriko limited express services between Tokyo or Shinjuku and Izukyū Shimoda Station, using the new E261 series .
• March 22 – Manchester Metrolink Trafford Park Line opened.[16]
• March 27
  • – the northern section of the Nekrasovskaya line of the Moscow Metro opened, with 6 new stations.[17]
  • – 2020 New York City Subway fire.
• March 30 – Train T179 from Ji'nan to Guangzhou derailed in Chenzhou, Hunan after hitting a landslide rubble, causing 1 person dead and 127 persons injured.[18]

April

• April 3 - CBD and South East Light Rail Kingsford branch opened.[19]
• April 23 - Hangzhou Metro Line 16 and two extensions of Line 5 (Jinxing to Liangmulu, Shanxian to Guniangqiao) opened.[20]
• April 29 - First phase of Shenyang Metro Line 10 opened.[21]

May

• May 8 – Aurangabad railway accident
• May 11 – The Deux-Montagnes line closes to be converted from commuter rail to light metro as part of the Reseau express metropolitain network.[22]
• May 22 – Hooghalen train crash

June

• June 13 – The Berryessa segment of the Silicon Valley BART extension opened to the public.[23][24]
• June 28
  • - Hefei – Hangzhou segment of the Shangqiu–Hangzhou high-speed railway opened to passenger services.[25]
  • - Line 3 and Line 5 of Changsha Metro opened to the public.[26]
• June 30
  • - Tongmi line service and the western extension of Sub-Central line service of Beijing Suburban Railway began operation. [27][28]
  • - Chifeng–Harqin Zuoyi high-speed railway and the Golmud–Korla railway Qinghai section began operation.[29][30]

July

• July 1 - Shanghai–Suzhou–Nantong railway began passenger and freight services.[31]
• July 7 - Three new stations open on the Athens Metro.[32]
• July 8 - Anshun–Liupanshui intercity railway opened to passenger services.[33]
• July 7, July 15 - 2 train crashes with fatalities in one week.[34][35]

August

• August 18
  • – Line 6 and Line 10 of Shenzhen Metro opened.
  • – Phase 1 of Zhuji intercity railway (Zhuhai to Zhuhai Changlong section) opened.[36]
• August 31 – Latest expected opening date of Sofia Metro's Line 3.[37]

September

• September 1 – Expected opening of Line 3 in the Guadalajara light rail system.[38]
• September 21 – Expected opening of the N Line commuter rail in Denver, Colorado.[39]
• – Expected opening of Ceneri Base Tunnel.[13]

October

• October 1 – Amtrak is expected to reduce frequencies on most long-distance routes from daily to tri-weekly.[40]
• October 31 – Berlin Brandenburg Airport railway station expected opening to passengers.[13]
• – Taichung Subway Green line opening.[41][42][43]
• – Gold Line (Bangkok) opening.

November

• – Expected opening of Thessaloniki Metro, Line 1 (Base Project).[44]

December

• December 13 – Lund Tram opening.[45]
• December 14 – Open-access operators able to start passenger operations in Spain.[13]
• December 21 – Rennes Metro line B opening.[46]
• December 31 – Deadline for mainline American railroads to implement positive train control systems on their networks.[47]
• – Karlsruhe Stadtbahn city centre tunnel expected completion.[13]

Unknown date

• – Opening of the remaining section of Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway.[48]
• – The length of Shanghai Metro is claimed to reach 772 km, with the opening of Line 10 (Phase 2), Line 15 and Line 18 (Phase 1).[49]
• – Total length of the Guangzhou Metro will exceed 600 km.
• – First phase of the Grand Paris Express to be opened.
• – U5 and U55 lines of Berlin U-Bahn to merge with three new stations opening.[13]
• – Possible testing of Train 20, claimed to achieve 200 km/h.
• – Expected opening of Milan Metro Line 1 extension to Monza.[50]
• – KTX and Shinkansen are expected to launch 360 km/h trains by 2020.
• – Chuo Shinkansen's first station will be opened for demonstration operation.
• – E235 series trains will replace all trains at Yokosuka Line, Yamanote Line and Sobu Rapid Line.
• – N700S trains will start operation.
• – Expected increase in number of domestic high-speed rail destinations after introduction of Alstom Coradia.
• – Expected end of regular timetabled operation of steam locomotives from Wolsztyn.[13]
• – Moscow Metro to overtake London Underground by its length, becoming the longest in Europe.
• – Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod line became third upgraded high-speed railway (only few sections are authorised for 160, 180 and 200 km/h operation).
• – Expected start of operation Belgrade–Stara Pazova section at 200k/h.
• – Flixtrain plans to begin operating long-distance passenger services from Stockholm.[13]
• – East Coast Main Line to be equipped with ERTMS Level 2 signalling between London King's Cross and Doncaster, with possible speed increase from 125 mph to 140 mph.
• – Planned rolling stock replacement for Island Line, Isle of Wight, using Class 484 units. Class 483 to be withdrawn after being 82 years in service.
• – Electrification of Midland Main Line reaches Sheffield, the project is claimed to be completed.
• – Thameslink Programme to be completed, after being proposed in 1997 and started in 2009. Train services through London from north to south to provide increased 12-car capacity. The longest commuter train in the UK by its length to start service.
• – Chicago to St. Louis railway to be equipped with Positive Train Control. Most of line to be upgraded from 90 mph to 110 mph speed, the same speed ranges as it were on this line in 1930s.
• – New Brunswick to Trenton, New Jersey upgrades to be completed after 1-year delay. Northeast Corridor speeds to be increased to 160 mph, making it true high-speed line by UIC classification. Some time after it, further upgrades to 186 mph are approved.
• – Texas Central Railway expected to begin construction on a high-speed rail system between Houston and Dallas.
• Q3 – XpressWest construction to break ground in California.[51]

References

1. Wilson, Bill (April 28, 2020). "UPDATED APRIL 28: Rail Group Staff Report—Global railway industry response and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic". Simmons-Boardman. RT&S. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
2. Ward, Mary (January 3, 2020). "A train for Ruse goers and racegoers, the Carlingford to Clyde closes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
3. "1月10日起，龙山北站增开多趟动车组列车". 龙山在线. January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
4. "石家庄地铁开通 河北正式迈入"地铁时代"".
5. "SEPTA taking Girard Ave. trolley off the rails; 78 percent of fleet can't pass inspection". January 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
6. Harding, Evan (January 29, 2020). "Rare locomotive pulled from river bank in Northern Southland". Stuff. Fairfax. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
7. "交通部28日定環狀線履勘日 確定無法年底通車". 中央社. December 23, 2019.
8. "捷運環狀線 1月31日通車". January 21, 2020.
9. "Milan train crash". The Independent. London. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
10. "屯馬線下月局部開通 觀塘線更迫 港鐵稱加班次保暢順 新站「因社會情况」增保護 - 20200118 - 要聞". 明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news (in Chinese). Retrieved January 27, 2020.
11. "Train driver and rail worker dead after Sydney-to-Melbourne train derails near Wallan - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. February 20, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
12. "Investigation: RO-2020-002 - Derailment of XPT ST23, Wallan, Victoria, on 20 February 2020" (PDF). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. April 3, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
13. "Where to go, what to see in 2020". Today's Railways Europe (289): 42–5. January 2020.
14. "新幹線700系の8日ラストラン取りやめ　感染拡大防止で　1日が最後の運行に" [700 Series Shinkansen Last Run Cancelled]. mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Mainichi. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
15. "No immediate changes to follow Northern nationalisation". Railway Gazette International. January 30, 2020.
16. Britton, Paul (March 21, 2020). "People in Greater Manchester urged not to use public transport for anything other than 'essential journeys, with services to be 'stepped down' from Sunday". Manchester Evening News.
17. "В Москве заработал второй участок Некрасовской линии метро". Интерфакс (in Russian). March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
18. "Passenger Train Derails in Hunan, Killing One and Injuring 127". Caixin. March 30, 2020.
19. Final stage of Sydney's CBD light rail opens Sydney Morning Herald 3 April 2020
20. "New line and two extensions add 72km to Hangzhou metro". International Railway Journal. April 27, 2020.
21. "Shenyang Metro opens Line 10". International Railway Journal. May 1, 2020.
22. Thomas, Katelyn (May 11, 2020). "Here's how to get around the Mount Royal tunnel closure". CTV News Montreal. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
23. Kelliher, Fiona (May 19, 2020). "Opening day set for long-awaited BART stations in Milpitas, San Jose". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
24. Meacham, Jody (June 12, 2020). "Subdued ceremonies mark BART's station openings in Santa Clara County". Silicon Valley Business Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
25. "商合杭高铁合肥至湖州段开通 豫皖浙三省实现高铁"无缝对接"". 人民网. June 28, 2020.
26. "长沙地铁3、5号线今日正式开通载客初期运营". 潇湘晨报. 华声新闻. June 28, 2020.
27. "市郊铁路城市副中心线西延今开通，良乡到北京西节省半小时". 北京日报客户端. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
28. "市郊铁路"通密线"今日开通，连接通州、顺义、怀柔、密云四区". 北京日报客户端. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
29. "把铁路建在"壮美"之上，格库铁路青海段通车！". 中国铁建. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
30. "辽宁 喀赤高铁今天正式开通运营". 辽沈晚报. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020. 30日上午，该条线路的首班高铁G8382次列车，即将从赤峰站出发
31. "沪苏通铁路7月1日开通运营 上海至南通最快1小时6分钟". 新华网. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
32. "PM to inaugurate three new Athens metro stations". Kathimerini. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
33. "新建安顺至六盘水高速铁路7月8日开通运营". 中国新闻社. July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
34. https://www.kp.ru/online/news/3934542/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
35. "В Чехии произошло столкновение пассажирского и грузового поездов". Izvestia (in Russian). July 15, 2020.
36. "明起，拱北到长隆只需30分钟！将来还要对接澳门轻轨". Macau Daily.
37. "Bulgaria's PM: Sofia metro third line will open by end of August". Sofia Globe. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
38. (in Spanish) https://www.milenio.com/politica/comunidad/linea-3-guadalajara-inauguracion-1-septiembre. Missing or empty |title= (help)
39. "RTD-Denver to open N commuter-rail line in September". Progressive Railroading. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
40. Lazo, Luz (June 16, 2020). "Amtrak is ending daily service to hundreds of stations. Blame the coronavirus pandemic, the railroad says". Washington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
41. 林佳龍：台中捷運綠線年底試運轉、2020年全線通車，三立新聞，2018-03-15
42. 吳清河 (March 24, 2020). "台中捷運綠線力拼提前10月底試營運及正式通車". 匯流新聞. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
43. "臺中市政府捷運工程處 >捷運路網 >烏日文心北屯線 >計畫緣起".
44. Voria.gr. "Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης: Το 2024 σε λειτουργία ο σταθμός Βενιζέλου". Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης: Το 2024 σε λειτουργία ο σταθμός Βενιζέλου. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
45. "Lund tramway gets revised launch date". Railway Gazette International. Metro Report. February 26, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
46. "Rennes : La ligne B du métro sera mise en service le 21 décembre 2020". 20minutes.fr (in French).
47. "Freight Railroads & Positive Train Control (PTC)". Association of American Railroads. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
48. "京沈高铁全线隧道贯通 2020年底北京至沈阳2.5小时通达". Retrieved June 28, 2020.
49. 上海5项交通建设项目集中开工 (in Chinese). December 25, 2019. 到2020年底，上海轨道交通运营网络规模将达到772公里
50. ANASTASIO, GIAMBATTISTA (December 13, 2016). "Metrò: nel 2020 linea M1 fino a Monza e inaugurazione M4, ma in parte / GRAFICO". Il Giorno. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
51. Wilson, Bill (December 16, 2019). "Virgin Trains USA could start construction of high-speed line in Calif., Nev., in late 2020". RT&S. Retrieved December 27, 2019.