December 31

Events

19th century

• 1887 – Spokane International Railroad begins operations.

20th century

• 1932 – The last steam-powered Southern Belle passenger train operates on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway; the train's equipment will be replaced with electric multiple unit cars the next day.
• 1965 – The last day of operation for the Bergen Tramway in Bergen, Norway before the tramway is permanently closed.
• 1968 – Penn Central's purchase of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad is completed.
• 1978 – The Rock Island Railroad operates its last passenger trains, the Peorian and a Chicago to Rock Island train.
• 1981 – The Colorado and Southern Railway, Denver and New Orleans Railroad and Fort Worth and Denver Railway are merged into Burlington Northern Railroad.
• 1990 – Minsk Metro's Avtozavodskaya Line opens between Traktornyi Zavod and Frunzenskaya.
• 1994 – Burlington Northern Railroad operates the last freight train on the former Oregon Electric Railway mainline in Portland, Oregon; the mainline is to become part of the new Tri-Met light rail system.
• 1998 – GE delivers the first AC6000CW diesel-electric locomotive.