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This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1961.

Events

January events

• January 4 - Lokomotivbau Elektrotechnische Werke delivers the first electric locomotives built in the German Democratic Republic to Deutsche Reichsbahn.
• January 16 - Eastern Region of British Railways takes delivery of D9001, the first production "Deltic" class diesel locomotive.

February events

• February 4 - Lehigh Valley Railroad discontinues its Black Diamond passenger train service.
• February 6 - The first automatic level crossing on British Railways is installed at Spath, Staffordshire.

March events

• March 27 - Black demonstrators stage a "ride-in" on Charleston, South Carolina, streetcars.

April events

• April - D5151, the first Sulzer Type 2 diesel locomotive, later British Rail Class 25, is completed at B.R. Darlington Works.

May events

• May 24 - The Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha passenger train makes its final run between Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington.
• May 28 - The Orient Express makes its last run between Paris, France, and Bucharest, Romania.

June events

• June - The last of the Bradshaw railway timetables, first published by George Bradshaw in 1839, is published in Britain.
• June 1 - Dr Richard Beeching takes office as chairman of the British Transport Commission and British Railways Board.

August events

• August 31 - Portland, Maine's Union Station is demolished to make room for a shopping plaza.

September events

• September 23 - Maritime, Coal Railway and Power Company, in Nova Scotia, ceases operations.^[1]
• September 30 - Southern Pacific Railroad closes the Centerville (SP station).

October events

• October 18 - General Motors Electro-Motive Division completes construction of the first GP30 diesel locomotive.
• October 26 - Two cars of a commuter train operated by Oita Traffic Company are involved in a mudslide during a massive rainstorm at Ōita, eastern Kyūshū, Japan, 31 killed, 36 injured. Most of the passengers are senior high school students.
• October - Work starts on demolition of Euston Arch in London.^[2]

November events

• November 20 - Union Pacific 844 makes its first excursion run following retirement from regular revenue service on the Union Pacific Railroad.

Unknown date events

• Atlantic Coast Line's headquarters are moved from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida.
• Construction is completed on Mexico's Chihuahua al Pacífico which linked the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to the town of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, near the Pacific coast.

Births

Deaths

References

• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This Month in Railroad History: October. Retrieved October 18, 2005.
• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This month in railroad history - November. Retrieved November 20, 2005.