1982 in rail transport

January events

 * January 13 – The 1982 Washington Metro train derailment involves an Orange Line train in Downtown Washington, D.C. in the United States and kills three people.
 * January 26 – The Palace on Wheels luxury train begins to run on Indian Railways.
 * January 27 – The Bouhalouane train crash in Algeria kills 131 people.

March events

 * March 16 - An extension of the Namboku Subway Line in Sapporo, Japan, opens for service between Shin-Sapporo Station and Shiroishi Station.

April events

 * April 1 – A major railroad line service in New Zealand, officially operation transferred to New Zealand Railways Corporation from New Zealand Railways Department.
 * April 6 – Opening of the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway in Norfolk, England, at 6.5 km probably the longest public 10+1/4 in gauge miniature railway in the world.

May events

 * The last freight trains passed over the Dumbarton Cut-off.

June events

 * June 23 – The Tōhoku Shinkansen line in Japan opens between Omiya (near Tokyo) and Morioka.
 * June 25 – Opening of the Furka (Base) Tunnel (15.4 km) on the metre gauge Furka Oberalp Bahn in Switzerland between Oberwald and Realp.

July events

 * July 28 – Fire destroys the Harrisonburg, Virginia, offices of the former Chesapeake Western Railway, which had been merged into the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1954.

August events

 * August 2 – Helsinki Metro opens in Finland, the World's most northern metro.

September events

 * September 18 – The second stage of Brisbane, Australia, Suburban Electrification is commissioned between Bowen Hills and Shorncliffe, and also between Roma Street and Kingston.
 * September 19 – Final day of PCC streetcar operation in San Francisco before all routes began full time Muni Metro light rail services through the Market Street subway.
 * September 21 – Takabata Station in Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is opened.

October events

 * October 23 – The first of 46 new 85-foot stainless steel electric multiple unit cars (1-46) built by Nippon-Sharyo of Nagoya, Japan are placed in service on the South Shore Commuter Line by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. These cars replaced Insull-era equipment dating back to 1926.

November events

 * November 15 – The Joetsu Shinkansen opens for service between Ōmiya and Niigata, Japan.

December events

 * December 29 – The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad merge to form the Seaboard System Railroad.

Unknown date events

 * Robert Krebs succeeds Alan Furth as president of the Southern Pacific Company, the parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad.