Time Line - 1996

Last Year | Next Year

• March 31: Conrail closes Beaubien Street interlocking tower. The tower was built around 1916 and protected a crossing of Conrail and the Grand Trunk Western. Operations of the interlocker were transferred to the Conrail Dearborn dispatcher. [MRC-8/1996]

• May 11: The ribbon is cut for the new Grand Traverse Dinner Train, which runs from Traverse City to Walton Jct and Williamsburg. [MRC-6/1996]

• June: Norfolk Southern opens a web site at www.nscorp.com. [MRC-6/1995]

• October 11: Amtrak first demonstrates 100-mph operation on its Kalamazoo-Porter segment. [MT]

• October 15: CSX announces its intention to purchase Conrail, beginning a tumultuous fight which ends in the split of Conrail assets between CSX and NS. [MT]

• December: Conrail transfers control of the "YD" interlocker at Pleasant Street in River Rouge from Bridge Tower to the Conrail Dearborn dispatcher. The Mill Street interlocker in Ecorse (also controlled by the Bridge) was transferred at the same time. [MRC-4/1997]

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  AEI "FET" tags are now required on all cars in interchange service. [SAM] 

 Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression