Events January events January 4 – Maryland train collision – Amtrak and Conrail trains collide in Maryland, killing 16 people. January 18 – A fire starts on Aylmer Manor, one of the Manor series sleeping cars used by Via Rail, forcing VIA to take the car out of regular service permanently. February events February 2 – The Irish national transport operator Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) is split up into subsidiaries, with Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) taking responsibility for the Irish railway network in the Republic of Ireland. February 12 – Oslo Central Station in Oslo, Norway is officially opened, and the western station Oslo Vestbanestasjon closes. March events March 12 – The Sacramento Regional Transit District opens the first line of its new light rail system, in Sacramento, California. April events April 1 – The Japanese National Railways (JNR) are divided and privatized. The seven companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group) succeed the former JNR. April 4 – The Soo Line railroad announces the sale of its Lake States Transportation Division to private investors, forming the new Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation. April 27 – Construction begins in Germany on the Berlin U-Bahn's U8 line extension to Paracelsus-Bad. April 30 – The Baltimore and Ohio merges into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, ending its 160-year existence. May events May 6 – A Spanish-built Pendolino, RENFE Class 443, achieveS a speed record for Spain of 206 km/h. May 11 – British Rail renames Second class as Standard class. July events July 13 – Union Pacific Railroad files with the Interstate Commerce Commission to acquire the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. July 13 – Nanboku Line open, for first time of Sendai Subway, northern Japan. July 19 – New short line railroad Red River Valley and Western Railroad begins operations over 667 miles (1,073.4 km) of former BN tracks in North Dakota. July 25 Indian Railways installs its first solid state interlocking at Srirangam, India. The East Lancashire Railway, a heritage railway in North West England, opens between Bury and Ramsbottom. July 31 – Queen Elizabeth II presides over the opening ceremonies of the Docklands Light Railway in London, England. August events August 7 – Kamensk-Shakhtinsky rail disaster in the Soviet Union kills 106. August 31 – The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway is merged into CSX Transportation. September events September 22 – Richmond Vale railway line, New South Wales, runs last coal train to Hexham,