Events January events January 17 – Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. February events February 12 – Construction begins on KCR Ma On Shan Rail in Hong Kong. March events March 21 – An EMD JT42CWR (Series 66) becomes the first American-built diesel locomotive to cross the Germany-Switzerland border as it leads a container train from Cologne to Mutenz. March 28 – Saitama Rapid Railway Line, Akabane-Iwabuchi to Urawa-Misono route officially completed, with Urawa-Misono via Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line to Tokyu Meguro Line Musashi-Kosugi route direct commuter train service to start in Japan. April events April 3 – The European Union approves Bombardier's acquisition of Adtranz. May events May – Varshavsky railway station in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is closed and facilities transferred elsewhere. May 16 – The stretch of railway between Murska Sobota, Slovenia, and Zalalövő, Hungary, is opened, in part following the route originally opened in 1907 and dismantled in 1968. May 26 – SNCF sets a new speed record in France when TGV train number 531 travels the between Calais and Marseilles in 3 hours and 29 minutes at an average speed of 317.46 km/h (197.26 mph). June events June 7 – SNCF opens the LGV Méditerranée in France, including the new Avignon TGV station. July events July 1 – Elipsos – a joint-venture company established by the Spanish and French rail companies SNCF and Renfe to run night-time passenger connections from Spain to France, Switzerland, and Italy – begins operations. July 7 – Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line, Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Station, via Wadamisaki Station to Shin-Nagata Station route, officially completed in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. July 12 – The Maitry Express passenger train begins regular revenue service between India and Bangladesh. July 20 – The Portland Streetcar, a new modern tram system, is opened. August events August 16 – After a complete restoration, Canadian Pacific 2816, a 4-6-4 steam locomotive, operates under its own power for the first time in nearly 40 years. August 25 – The El Reno Heritage Express heritage trolley commences service in El Reno, Oklahoma. August 31 – 66% interest in Eesti Raudtee, the state railway of Estonia, is sold to a private holding company with international investors "Baltic Rail Services". September events September 5 – The extension of Minsk Metro's Avtozavodskaya Line connecting Avtozavodskaya to Mogilevskaya opens. September 10 – The Red Line of Portland, Oregon's MAX Light Rail