enlargement of the London Underground network by construction of a new "Fleet Line" and extension of the Piccadilly line to Heathrow Airport. June 28 – The Chicago Urban Transportation District is created by local referendum in downtown Chicago to finance and build the 1968 Loop and Distributor Subway project as recommended by the Chicago Central Area Transit Planning Study. July events July 1 – China Railway opens Chengdu–Kunming railway, in length with 427 tunnels and 653 bridges. July 6 – Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad moves its South Bend, Indiana, passenger stop from downtown South Bend to another facility near the Bendix plant after the last train leaves the downtown terminal. August events August 22 – 3801 traverses Australia from the east coast to the west coast with the Western Endeavour train. August 25 – Mobile and Gulf Railroad operates the last regularly scheduled steam locomotive-powered train on a common carrier railroad in North America. September events September 20 – Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad San Juan Extension between Antonito and Alamosa, Colorado, begins conversion from dual gauge to standard gauge by lifting the gauge rails. October events October 30 – President of the United States Richard Nixon signs into law the Rail Passenger Service Act, a bill that creates Amtrak to take over the burden of passenger train operations in America. November events November – Norwegian State Railways completes electrification of Dovre Line and withdraws its last steam locomotives. December events December – The Boston and Maine Corporation, operators of the Boston & Maine Railroad, declares bankruptcy. December 29 – Last official steam-hauled express passenger train in Australia, the 'Newcastle Flyer', hauled by New South Wales C38 class locomotive #3820. Unknown date events The diesel engine manufacturing business of the former American Locomotive Company is sold to White Motor Corporation. Shipment of gasoline from Casper, Wyoming, the city that shipped the greatest amount in the world of gasoline by rail earlier in the 20th century, is shifted from railroad tank cars to a new pipeline. The New York City Subway begins removing its R1-R9 units from service. Historic American Engineering Record surveys the original main line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Accidents Births Deaths April deaths April 25 – Oliver Bulleid, chief mechanical engineer of Southern Railway in Great Britain 1937–1948 (b. 1882). July deaths July 4 – Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, heir to Cornelius Vanderbilt