|
1 September | • | Beijing-Kowloon railway
line (2381 km) opened. China's largest railway
project required 40 billion yuan in total
construction costs. Expected to contribute
to integration with Hong Kong and
stimulate local economies. Five passenger
and 20 freight departures in each
direction daily
|
|
4 September | • | Kansai International Airport
celebrated second anniversary.
Served 18 million domestic and international
passengers, plus more than 500,000
tonnes of freight—increase of about 20%
over first year. Now offers 568 weekly
flights to 35 countries or regions
|
|
13 September | • | Japan Airlines jumbo jet
to Frankfurt aborted takeoff at Narita injuring
22 passengers during plane evacuation
due to tyre fire
|
|
15 September | • | Controversial project to
pave 620-km stretch of highway through
Amazon between Manaus and Caracarai
funded by several Andean governments
|
|
17 September | • | Two-set early-morning
train smashed into lorry on unmanned
crossing on main Aberdeen-to-Inverness
line in Scotland with no injuries
|
|
20 September | • | Freight train with faulty
brakes ploughed into commuter train carrying
rush-hour passengers north of Rio
de Janeiro, killing 15 and injuring more
than 30
|
| • | JR West and JR Central
announced plan for N300 Series nextgeneration
rolling stock, running directly
through Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen
lines. Key concepts include more comfortable
ride, environmental considerations,
and functional carriages
|
|
23 September | • | Memorial to victims of
Hanshin Expressway, which collapsed in
Great Hanshin Earthquake, unveiled prior
to re-opening of final rebuilt section
|
|
26 September | • | Pan American World Airways
started budget passenger flights
between Miami, Los Angeles and New
York. Company founded by group of investors
who purchased name from bankrupt
former Pan Am
|
|
27 September | • | DC-3 Dakota vintage
aircraft crashed into North Sea off Holland
killing all 26 passengers and six crew on
board
|
|
28 September | • | Locomotive hit school
bus on level crossing in Russia's southern
Rostov region killing 17 children
|
| • | Former JNR Aomori–
Hakodate ferry Daisetsu-maru opened as
floating hotel in Nagasaki. Facilities include
66 Western and Japanese guest
rooms, banquet room, multi-purpose hall
and lounge
|
|
29 September | • | Italian Pendolino superexpress
train extended service to Bern,
linking Swiss capital with Milan in 3 hours
and 15 minutes. Bern already served by
French TGV (4 hours and 30 minutes to
Paris) and German ICE (4 hours to Frankfurt),
making it accessible by three of
Europe's greatest railways
|
|
1 October | • | Hankyu Railway, Hanshin
Electric Railway and Kobe Express Railway
permit passengers to use commuter
passes anywhere between Umeda
(Osaka), Sannomiya (Kobe) and Kobe
Express Terminal. Aim to boost use of
commuter passes, based on companies'
experience of cooperating with rail transfers
after Great Hanshin Earthquake in
January 1995
|
|
2 October | • | Aeroperu Boeing 757 bound
from Miami for San Diego, Chile, via Lima,
Peru, crashed off coast of Lima killing all
66 passengers and 9 crew
|
|
8 October | • | JR West stocks listed on
stock exchange. Japanese National Railway
Settlement Corporation released
750,000 stocks on bid, and another
950,000 for general sale, out of total issue
of 2 million. Closed first day at
¥367,000, up from ¥357,000 (Face value
¥50,000)
|
| • | Antonov air freighter from
Moscow crashed at Turin's Caselle Airport
in north-west Italy, killing five crew members
and injuring others on ground
|
|
11 October | • | Single-car trainset hit truck
at crossing in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, injuring
16, including 12 elementary school
students after truck ignored warning
|
|
12 October | • | Hyper Cherokee light aircraft
crashed in Kumamoto Prefecture,
Japan, injuring pilot and son
|
|
15 October | • | CSX Corporation, largest
rail freight transport company in USA, and
Conrail announced merger around latter
half of 1997. World's largest rail freight
company with over 48,000 km of track and
annual sales exceeding $14 billion
|
| • | International passengers
and staff at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport
pushed British Airways Boeing 737
bound for London approximately 40 meters
onto runway in protest against strike
|
|
17 October | • | Megafloat Technical Research
Union, composed of 17 steel, shipbuilding
and heavy industries, carried out
takeoff and landing training on super-large
floating marine structure (Megafloat) off
coast of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Structure strong contender for replacement
for US Futenma Air Base in Okinawa
Prefecture
|
|
22 October | • | Five-seater helicopter
crashed at Middlewich, UK, killing all five
people on board including vice-captain of
British Chelsea soccer team
|
|
23 October | • | US Boeing 707 air freighter
bound for Miami plunged into urban area
of Manta Port, Ecuador, killing 36 passengers
and crew, and injuring another 50 on
ground
|
|
25 October | • | Argentine Air Force Boeing
707 cargo plan crashed during emergency
landing at Ezeiza, Buenos Aires' main international
airport, killing 2 and injuring 6
|
|
29 October | • | Running tests began on
Hokuriku Shinkansen, scheduled to begin
service in autumn 1997. General Test
Stock for Electrified Track, nicknamed Dr Yellow (see front page) used for test
|
|
30 October | • | JR Freight uses Global
Positioning Satellite (GPS) to locate trains.
System can be used in conjunction with
Freight Information Network System
(FRIENDS), and will prove worth when
normal communications impossible
|
|
31 October | • | Fokker 100 belonging to
TAM Brazil airline plunged into residential
area and burst into flames shortly after
takeoff from Congonhas Airport in southern
Sao Paulo. All 89 passengers and six
crew on board killed, and fatalities among
residents on ground
|
