Portland and Eugene, Oregon. August 11 – In England, the Tyne and Wear Metro opens for full public service with the first section from Haymarket to Tynemouth via South Gosforth and Four Lane Ends, the first British conversion from heavy to light rail. August 19 – The Otloczyn railway accident occurred near the village of Otłoczyn (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland) which killed 67 people and injured 64 more. October October 9 – Official opening of new standard gauge line from Tarcoola, South Australia to Alice Springs as part of the Adelaide–Darwin railway project. October 14 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the Staggers Rail Act into law, significantly deregulating the American railroad industry. November November 21 – The Burlington Northern Railroad acquires the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. November – The Chessie System and Seaboard System Railroad merge to form CSX Transportation. November – The first test runs of the Joetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Niigata are operated. December December 3 – The Northwestern Steel and Wire mill in Sterling, Illinois, operates a steam locomotive (Baldwin 0-8-0 #73) for the last time, the final commercial use in the United States. Unknown date Now owning a 98.34% control of the Cotton Belt Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad extends the Cotton Belt to Chicago, Illinois, through acquisition of the former Rock Island Railroad. The last train, controlled by Conrail, operates on New York City's former New York Central "High Line" on the West Side. It is reported to have hauled three boxcars of frozen poultry. L. Stanley Crane is succeeded by Harold H. Hall as president of the Southern Railway. Accidents References Bibliography