Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 12, 2022 A high-speed railway in the southeastern part of Norway was formally opened. This railway covers 14 miles (22 kilometers) altogether between Oslo, Norway’s capital and most populous city; and Ski, a town in the municipality of Nordre Follo in the district of Follo. Harald V (born in 1937), who has reigned as... Continue Reading →
December 5, 2020 In the Canadian province of Ontario, an intercity bus terminal in the downtown section of Toronto was officially opened. The Union Station Bus Terminal (USBT), which is operated by the government-owned company Metrolinx, is connected via pedestrian walkways to Union Station (a major railway facility and Canada’s busiest transportation hub). USBT serves... Continue Reading →
December 1, 1863 In the east-central section of New Zealand’s South Island, a railway line between the city of Christchurch and its suburb of Ferrymead in the Canterbury Region first went into service. Several days later, the area newspaper known as the Press confirmed “that the Ferrymead Railway was opened for traffic, with a general... Continue Reading →
November 2, 1864 A newly completed railway in the Kingdom of Italy was officially opened. (The Kingdom of Italy existed from 1861 to 1946; it was replaced by the present-day Republic of Italy.) That 61.5-mile (99-kilometer) line connected the city of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna region with the city and comune (municipality) of Pistoia in the... Continue Reading →
October 3, 1906 In southwestern England, a road-rail swing bridge crossing the River Avon in Bristol -- a city, ceremonial county, and unitary authority -- first went into service. The Ashton Avenue Bridge was built as a key part of the Bristol Harbour Railway, a longtime transportation link for Bristol’s docks and wharves. Alfred John... Continue Reading →
October 2, 1872 The Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway (DPSP&P) was incorporated with 2.5 million dollars in capital in what was then the Colorado Territory. The original trustees for this narrow gauge railway were Walter S. Cheesman, Frederick A. Clark, Henry Crow, Leonard H. Eicholtz, John Evans, John Hughes, Charles B. Kountze, Donald H.... Continue Reading →
August 1, 2008 Two bridges spanning the Port River in the port-side region of Adelaide (the capital city of the state of South Australia) were inaugurated. Both of these bascule bridges (bridges that can move to allow passage for vessels traveling through the area) were built by the Australian construction company Abigroup. One of these... Continue Reading →
July 21, 2015 Tren del Valle, a commuter rail service in the west-central region of Argentina, was opened. This transit line, which runs trains on tracks belonging to the General Roca Railway, connects the cities of Plottier, Neuquén, and Cipoletti. The public officials taking part in the official launch of Tren del Valle included Cristina... Continue Reading →
July 6, 1891 In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, a full-rigged sailing ship was launched at the C.R. Burgess Yard in the seaside village of Kingsport. This wooden vessel, named Canada, had been designed by the prolific shipbuilder Ebenezer Cox (1828-1916). At the time of her launch, Canada held the record as the largest... Continue Reading →
June 26, 2007 Work began on a railway tunnel in the municipality of Bӕrum, a western suburb of Norway’s capital city of Oslo. A drilling and blasting method was used for creating this tunnel, which is now the major portion of the 4.2-mile (6.7-kilometer) Asker Line. The first dynamite salvo for the project was fired... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 