Primarily freight service Some passenger service (Amtrak)
Technical
Length
7.80 miles (12.55 km)
No. of tracks
Single
Track gauge
4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Highest elevation
2,881 feet (880 m)
Route map
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels, its original tunnel and its replacement, in the northwest United States, east of the Seattle metropolitan area in the Cascade Range of Washington, at Stevens Pass. It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) east of Everett, with both portals adjacent to U.S. Route 2. Both single-track tunnels were constructed by the Great Northern Railway.
The first was 2.63 miles (4.23 km) in length and opened in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on the original line that had eight zig zags (switchbacks). The current tunnel is 7.8 miles (12.6 km) in length and entered service in early 1929,[1][2] approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of and 500 feet (150 m) lower in elevation than the original. The present east portal is nearly four miles (6.5 km) east of the original and is at 2,881 feet (878 m) above sea level, 1,180 feet (360 m) below the pass. The tunnel connects Berne in Chelan County on its east with Scenic Hot Springs in King County on its west and is the longest railroad tunnel in the United States.
^ ab"Great tunnel opening ready". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. January 12, 1929. p. 1.
^ ab"Wheels thunder in wonder bore". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). January 13, 1929. p. 1, part 1.
The CascadeTunnel refers to two railroad tunnels, its original tunnel and its replacement, in the northwest United States, east of the Seattle metropolitan...
Snoqualmie Tunnel is a former railroad tunnel near Snoqualmie Pass in the U.S. state of Washington, located east of Seattle. The tunnel crosses the Cascade Range...
ventilation problem also limited the frequency of trains through these tunnels. The CascadeTunnel is a good example. Also see the proposed North–South Rail Link...
was the longest non-electrified tunnel until 1956, when electrification was removed from the CascadeTunnel. The tunnel is single-tracked, so only one...
Railway as part of their Northern Transcon. This route includes the CascadeTunnel, as well as the 1893 site of the "last spike" near Scenic, Washington...
Crest Trail crosses the highway at Stevens Pass. The BNSF Railway's CascadeTunnel lies 1,180 feet (400 m) below the pass summit. The pass is near Stevens...
railroad tunnel in the United States after the CascadeTunnel. It is ultimately named after the Bitterroot Salish, also known as the Flathead. The tunnel was...
Line and Tunnel were reopened in 1997 by BNSF, which uses the route as one of two direct Northern Transcon main lines through the Cascades, between Spokane...
Zephyrs routing. The Seattle section uses the CascadeTunnel and Stevens Pass as it traverses the Cascade Range to reach Spokane, while the Portland section...
replaced in 1929 with the New CascadeTunnel, which at 7.8 miles (12.6 km) long was for nearly 60 years the longest railroad tunnel in North America and is...
extends from the Martin Creek Tunnel on the western slope of the crest to the eastern portal of the present CascadeTunnel above Nason Creek on the eastern...
Tunnel, an active rail tunnel located near Hayden. Jefferson Tunnel, abandoned rail tunnel in Jefferson County. Laney Tunnel, an active rail tunnel on...
railroad tunnels in the country are along the Northern Transcon: the Flathead Tunnel through the Rocky Mountains in Montana and the new CascadeTunnel through...
11 mi) However, it took the title from the CascadeTunnel (1929) 12.6 km (7.8 mi) as the longest railway tunnel in the North America. The project was the...
route ran west to Wenatchee, Washington, crossed under the Cascade Range at New CascadeTunnel on Stevens Pass, and descended to the Puget Sound region...
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon...
railway built the CascadeTunnel in Washington, a project that cost $25 million and eliminated an earlier summit tunnel under the Cascade Range and a rugged...
manager was the Great Northern Railroad CascadeTunnel under Stevens Pass in Washington State. The 7.9-mile-long tunnel was completed in 36 months and the...
Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. The pass summit is at an elevation...
Stevens built over a thousand miles of railroad, including the original CascadeTunnel. (Most other Pacific Northwest landmarks with the word "Stevens" are...
trains are used on some short and medium distance routes such as Amtrak Cascades from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia. In August 2016, the...
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