January events

Berlin U-Bahn

• January 1 – The Swiss Federal Railways is formed through the merger and nationalization of several smaller railroads.
• January 8 – A train collision occurs in the New York Central Railroad's Park Avenue Tunnel in New York City killing 17 people, injuring 38 and leading to increased demand for electric trains.
• January 24 – The Thompson Tramway, a predecessor of the Connecticut Company, is renamed Worcester and Connecticut Eastern Railway.

February events

• February 13 – The Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Railroad, a predecessor of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, is incorporated.
• February 15 – The Berlin U-Bahn Underground is opened in Germany.
• February – Great Western Railway of England turns out the prototype 'Saint' Class 4-6-0 locomotive from its Swindon Works, beginning a series of successful 2-cylinder designs.^[1]
• February – Edwin Winter becomes president of Brooklyn Rapid Transit in New York City.^[2]

March events

Great Western Railway 'Saint' Class prototype

• March 10 – An antitrust suit is filed against Northern Securities Company, a holding company controlling Northern Pacific Railway, Great Northern Railway, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and others.^[3]

April events

• April 9 – Underground Electric Railways Company of London formed to consolidate the group of Underground lines controlled by American financier Charles Yerkes.
• April 21 – The Pennsylvania, New York and Long Island Railroad, a predecessor of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, is incorporated.

May events

20th Century Limited

• May 1 – Ahead of merger documentation and filing, Canadian Pacific Railway takes control of the Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway.^[4]
• May 10 – Construction begins on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway.^[5]
• May 23 – Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway passenger trains are shifted to Ottawa's Broad Street Union Station.^[4]

June events

• June 11 – Chūō Main Line, Ochanomizu of Tokyo to Shiojiri route official complete in Japan, as same time, Shinjuku of Tokyo to Matsumoto route direct passenger train service start.
• June 15
  • The New York Central railroad debuts the 20th Century Limited passenger train between Chicago and New York.
  • Canadian Pacific Railway reroutes its transcontinental passenger trains in Ottawa to use the Vaudreuil line and the Interprovincial Bridge.^[4]

July events

• July 1 – Oliver Robert Hawke Bury becomes General Manager of the Great Northern Railway in England.^[6]

Pacific Electric Railway passenger car number 219 on the first day of service from Los Angeles to Long Beach, California.

• July 4 – Pacific Electric Railway opens its first interurban line to connect Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.^[7]
• July 12 – First of the Neuquén-Cipolletti bridges opened for Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway traffic in Argentina.
• July 17 – The Texas Mexican Railway converts to standard gauge.

Ferrovia della Valtellina Class RA 34 3-phase AC electric locomotive

September events

• September 1 – Damascus–Daraa railway line completed.
• September 22 – Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway acquires the Pontiac and Pacific Junction Railway.^[4]

October events

• October 9 – The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway, predecessor of the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad, is chartered in Texas.
• October 13 – Professor Ernest Rutherford of McGill University demonstrates the first wireless communication system between a station and a moving train using a Grand Trunk Railway passenger special operating between Toronto and Montreal.^[5]
• October 15 – The Ferrovia della Valtellina in Italy begins operating the world's first three-phase AC railway electrification system on a public standard gauge line, designed by MÁV chief engineer Kálmán Kandó with equipment by the Ganz Works.^[8][9]

November

• November 2 – Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad jointly inaugurate the Golden State Limited passenger train between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California.^[10]
• November 26 – Skreiabanen in Toten, Norway, is opened.

Unknown date events

• The Alaska Central Railroad (an early predecessor of the Alaska Railroad) begins construction northward from Seward, Alaska.
• The Atlantic Coast Line acquires the Plant System Railroads and gains control of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
• Serious buffer stop accident at Frankfurt-am-Main inspires development of Rawie range of energy-absorbing buffer stops.
• Narrow gauge Ferrocarril de Córdoba a Huatusco is completed to Coscomatepec, Veracruz.^[11]
• Percy French writes the song Are Ye Right There Michael? ridiculing the West Clare Railway in Ireland.

May deaths

• May 20 – H. H. Hunnewell, director for Illinois Central Railroad 1862-1871, president of Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad, president of Kansas City, Lawrence and Southern Railroad, dies (b. 1810).

November deaths

• November 12 - William Henry Barlow, English railway civil engineer (born 1812).