1902 in rail transport

Events

January events

• 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.
• February - Edwin Winter becomes president of Brooklyn Rapid Transit in New York City.

  March events

• 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.

  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

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

  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.

  July events

• July 1 - Oliver Robert Hawke Bury becomes General Manager of the Great Northern Railway in England.
• July 4 - Pacific Electric Railway opens its first interurban line to connect Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
• 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.

September events

• September 22 - Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway acquires the Pontiac and Pacific Junction Railway.

  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.
• October 15 - The Ferrovia della Valtellina in Italy begins operating the world's first three-phase AC railway electrification system on a standard gauge line, designed by MÁV chief engineer Kálmán Kandó with equipment by the Ganz Works.

  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.
• November 26 - Skreiabanen in Toten, Norway, is opened.

  Unknown date events

• The Alaska Central 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.
• Percy French writes the song Are Ye Right There Michael? ridiculing the West Clare Railway in Ireland.

  Births

Deaths

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.

  November deaths

• November 12 - William Henry Barlow, English railway civil engineer.