February 18 – Muni Metro is officially inaugurated in San Francisco, with weekday N Judah service in the Market Street subway. Other lines were transitioned from surface operations in stages until 1982.
July 31 – Boston and Maine Railroad, 2 men struck on track 16 inbound to Wakefield. Conductor Damian Soto is suspended 30 days without pay and forced to retake his conductor license.
August 11 – In England, the Tyne and Wear Metro opens for full public service with the first section from Haymarket to Tynemouth via South Gosforth and Four Lane Ends, the first British conversion from heavy to light rail.
December – Promulgation of the JNR reconstruction act in a bid for the company to straighten out insolvency. As a result, 83 rural lines running in deficit were assigned to three phases of either a transfer to third-sector ownership or outright closure and replacement by bus services.
The last train, controlled by Conrail, operates on New York City's former New York Central "High Line" on the West Side. It is reported to have hauled three boxcars of frozen poultry.