page_title: Cascade Tunnel
hierarchical_section_title: Cascade Tunnel
caption_attribution_description: English: Eastern portal of the BNSF Cascade Tunnel located at Milepost 1700 on the Scenic Subdivision. The 7.5 mile long railroad tunnel is the longest in the United States. The eastern portal is the site of the 1600hp fan plant that scrubs the tunnel of diesel exhaust fumes after each train passes through.
context_page_description: The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels 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 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 in length and opened in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on the original line that had eight zig zags. The current tunnel is 7.8 miles in length and entered service in early 1929, approximately 1.5 miles south of and 500 feet lower in elevation than the original. The present east portal is nearly four miles east of the original's and is at 2,881 feet above sea level, 1,180 feet 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.
context_section_description: The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels (original 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, 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's 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.
caption: Eastern portal in 2012
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