Great Northern Tunnel

The Great Northern Tunnel is a 1-mile (1.6 km) double-tracked railway tunnel under downtown Seattle, Washington, completed by the Great Northern Railway in 1905, and now owned by the BNSF Railway, on its Scenic Subdivision. At the time it was built, it was the tallest and widest tunnel in the United States, at 28 feet (8.5 m) high and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide.[1]

Great Northern Tunnel
North and South Portals of the tunnel
Overview
LineScenic Subdivision
LocationSeattle, Washington
Coordinates47.604°N 122.333°W / 47.604; -122.333
StatusActive
SystemAmtrak Empire Builder
Amtrak Cascades
Sounder commuter rail
Northern Transcon
Operation
Opened1905
OwnerBNSF
Great Northern Railway (original)
OperatorBNSF
Characterpassenger, freight
Technical
Line length1 mile (1.6 km)
No. of tracks2
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Tunnel clearance28 feet (8.5 m)

The southern portal is just north of King Street Station, and the northern in Victor Steinbrueck Park, between Virginia and Pine Streets. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel passes four feet below the Great Northern Tunnel.[2]

A plaque commemorating the completion of the Great Northern Tunnel in 1905.

Freight and passenger trains use the tunnel, including Amtrak service to Chicago (the Empire Builder) and Vancouver, B.C. (Cascades), and Sound Transit's Seattle–Everett Sounder commuter rail service.

A more distant view of the South Portal of the tunnel

References
  1. Daryl C. McClary (November 27, 2002). "Great Northern Tunnel — Seattle (essay #4029)". HistoryLink. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  2. "Pioneer Square Station-the Pioneering Spirit". King County Metro. April 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
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