Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 3, 2016 A bus rapid transit (BRT) system in England’s ceremonial county of Greater Manchester was inaugurated. A section of this system has the distinction of being the first guided busway – a dedicated, buses-only route – to operate in northwestern England. There is a multi-user path alongside this guided section for bicyclists, pedestrians,... Continue Reading →
April 1, 1928 The first four trolleybuses to serve the English town and borough of Hastings began operations. These vehicles were each decorated with flags and bunting for the occasion and they were introduced as part of the plan to ultimately replace the entire aging fleet of trams in Hastings with trolleybuses. Those trams were... Continue Reading →
March 27, 2016 In the Helsinki metropolitan area, a railway station in the municipality of Tuusula was closed after decades of service. This station was specifically located in the municipality’s Nuupulinna neighborhood. At the time of its shutdown, Nuupulinna railway station was part of the commuter rail system operated by Helsinski-Riihimäki railway in that region... Continue Reading →
March 26, 1931 Swissair, which would become Switzerland’s national airline, was officially established. This airline was formed from a merger between two other Swiss airlines -- Ad Astra Aero (dating back to 1919) and Balair (founded in 1925). One of Swissair’s founders was renowned aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer (1894-1937), whose key airborne accomplishments included making the... Continue Reading →
March 22, 2020 The Trafford Park Line in northwestern England’s ceremonial county of Greater Manchester first went into service. This light rail line operates in the metropolitan borough of Trafford as part of the Manchester Metrolink, an extensive transit system in that region of England. The line owes its name to a particular section of... Continue Reading →
March 20, 1910 The Montedor Lighthouse (Farol de Montedor) along Portugal’s Atlantic coast officially went into service. This 92-foot (28-meter)-tall granite tower, which stands on a promontory that is part of the municipality of Viana de Castelo, has the distinction of being the northernmost lighthouse in Portugal. The Montedor Lighthouse is seven nautical miles (13... Continue Reading →
March 15, 1902 In the English market town and civil parish of Beverley, a vessel constructed there by the shipbuilding company Cook,Welton & Gemmell was launched. This 149-foot (45-meter)-long vessel was named King Edward, the country’s reigning monarch at the time, and her original owner was James Holliday. In 1911, this vessel ended up in... Continue Reading →
March 13, 2023 A replacement bus station was inaugurated in northwestern England’s town of Ormskirk, which has achieved widespread renown as a producer of gingerbread and is located 13 miles (21 kilometers) north of Liverpool. This town is part of the ceremonial county of Lancashire. The public officials who took part in the Monday opening... Continue Reading →
February 21, 2007 In central Greece’s administrative region of Attica (an area that includes the capital city of Athens), a railway station in the town and municipality of Vrilissia was opened to the public. This station is located on Vrilissia’s main thoroughfare of Pentelis Avenue. Pentelis railway station was officially inaugurated by Michalis Liapis, who... Continue Reading →
February 20, 1927 Just a little over two months after first being placed into service on a trial basis, the Leça Lighthouse on northwestern Portugal’s Atlantic coast was officially inaugurated. This lighthouse was built in the then-civil parish of Leça da Palmeira (now part of the civil parish of Matosinhos e Leça da Palmeira) in... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 