|
1 January | • | Former West German National
Railways (DB) and former East
German National Railways
(DR) merged to form privatised
Deutsche Bahn Aktiengesellschaft (DBG).
DBG to be divided into three independent
companies: passenger transport, cargo transport and infrastructure management,in 2002.
|
|
3 January | • | Domestic Russian airplane
(Baikal Airline, Tupolev 154-
seater passenger plane) bound
for Moscow crashed and
burned shortly after takeoff at
Irkutsk Airport. All 124 persons
aboard killed.
|
|
6 January | • | 10-seater biplane crash landed
and burned in Florida, United
States. All nine persons aboard
including Japanese killed.
|
|
13 January | • | JR East's "Airport Express"
nicknamed "N'EX", connecting
central Tokyo directly to Narita,
carried 10 million persons in
1,032 days since opening 19
March 1991.
|
|
15 January | • | Two ferryboats collided near
Tigmari City in estuary of
Ganges in eastern India. One
boat capsized and sank. Ten of
148 passengers aboard
drowned, 24 persons rescued,
remaining 114 reported missing.
|
|
27 January | • | According to survey by New
Tokyo International Airport
Public Corporation, airport
used by about 12.15 million
persons in 1993, up about
120,000 persons over record in
previous year. Amount of air
cargo handled totalled 1.39
million tonnes, up about 4,000
tonnes over 1990.
|
|
11 February | • | Executive Air Service, private
company operating helicopter
services, started Japan's first
pleasure helicopter service on
weekends and holidays. Helicopter
starts and arrives at
Urayasu on Tokyo Bay, flying
over Tokyo Disneyland, Rainbow
Bridge, Ginza and other
places in 15 minutes. Fare
¥13,000 for adults and ¥9,000
for children.
|
|
22 February | • | Strong winds caused by atmospheric
depression as powerful
typhoon raged in East Japan,
with wind velocity of more than
30m per second, derail train on
Minami Rias Line of Sanriku
Railway in Iwate Prefecture,
and diesel railcar on JR's
Nemuro trunk line. Total of 12
persons injured.
|
|
1 March | • | JR East formulated first integrated
hardware-software
safety measures to be implemented
for 5 years from fiscal
1994. Plans to invest total of
about ¥400 billion in safety
measures, or about same
amount as in past 5 years.
|
|
2 March | • | 25 years since Concorde, supersonic
jet jointly developed
by Air France and British Airways,
made first flight in 1969.
Commercial flight started in
1976, with total of 12
Concordes, boasting roundworld
flight in less than 33
hours. Supersonic Concordes
suffer from high fares, limited
passenger capacity of 100 persons
per flight, and relativelyshort
cruising distance.
|
| • | Series E1 , Japan's first
double-decker Shinkansen,
scheduled to go into service
this summer, shown to press at
Sendai General Rolling Stock
Yard in Miyagi Prefecture.
Train introduced in response to
increase in commuters; composed
of 12 coaches with seating
capacity of 1,235 persons,
up 40% over present 12-coach
Shinkansen.
|
|
5 March | • | Film festival held on 5 and 6
March at Yoshioka Undersea
Station, on Hokkaido side of
two undersea stations in
Seikan Tunnel. Held as part of
event to deepen exchange between
Hakodate and Morioka
cities connected by undersea
tunnel.
|
|
17 March | • | Tuna longline fishing boat operating
off Guam with ninemember
crew including Japanese
captain, sank due to engine
trouble 9 February. Crew
drifted over distance of about
2,800 km for 37 days on life raft
until rescued in southern Philippines.
Slaked thirst with rainwater.
|
| • | Japan's first railway train ran
between Shimbashi and
Yokohama on 14 October
1872. 14 October previously
remembered as "Railway Commemoration
Day." Ministry of
Transport names day "Railway
Day" to arouse public interest
in railways.
|
| • | Special "Access Express"
trains of JR West and Nankai
Electric Railway, to connect
Kansai International Airport
with central Osaka and Kyoto,
made debuts. Trains to move
onto joint siding line to airport
from existing lines. JR West's
Haruka (281 series), composed
of five coaches, to run
from Kyoto via Shin Osaka to
airport in 73 minutes. Nankai's
Rapid (50000 series) composed
of six coaches, to depart
from and arrive in Namba.
|
|
23 March | • | Japan Railway Construction
Public Corporation, engaged in
large-scale projects such as
construction of Seikan Tunnel
and Joetsu Shinkansen, celebrated
30th anniversary of establishment
in 1964 constructing
76 lines with total length of
1,800 km.
|
|
30 March | • | Subway section between
Imaike and Nonami (8.6 km) in
Nagoya City opened for traffic
to complete No.6 Subway
(Sakura Dori Line) between
Nakamura Kuyakusho and
Nonami (14.9 km). Connected
to Higashiyama, Maizuru and
Meijo lines between two subway
stations.
|
|
31 March | • | Nogami Electric Railway (11.4
km between Higata and
Tozanguchi), with head office
in Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture,
closed after 78 years
and company liquidated. Closure
caused by discontinuation
of subsidies from Ministry of
Transport. Bus service taken
over by another company.
|
