Editing Cascade Tunnel (section)

{{Short description|Rail tunnels in Washington state, US}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
<!--[[File:BNSF Scenic-Sub-1700-Cascade-Tunnel.jpg|thumb|250px|Cascade Tunnel eastern portal]]-->
{{Infobox tunnel
| name          = Cascade Tunnel
| image         = BNSF Scenic-Sub-1700-Cascade-Tunnel.jpg
| image_size    = 230
| alt           = 
| caption       = The eastern portal of Cascade Tunnel in 2012
| official_name = 
| other_name    = 
| line          = [[BNSF Railway|BNSF]] [[Scenic Subdivision]] (formerly [[Burlington Northern Railway|Burlington Northern]] and [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern]]) 
| location      = {{nowrap|[[Stevens Pass]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S.}}
| coordinates   = {{nowrap|{{coord|47|44|33|N|121|04|10|W|type:railwaystation|display=it}}}}
| os_grid_ref   = 
| status        = Active
| system        = 
| crosses       = [[Cascade Range]],<br /> near [[Stevens Pass]]
| start         = 
| end           = 
| stations      = 
| startwork     = 
| opened        = 1929, {{Time ago|1929}}<ref name=gtoprdy>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3s1XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s_QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5471%2C2572272 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Great tunnel opening ready |date=January 12, 1929 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=wonbore>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2gxWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6317%2C1944401|work=Spokesman-Review|location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=Wheels thunder in wonder bore |date=January 13, 1929 |page=1, part 1}}</ref> <!-- or |opens for future dates -->
| closed        = <!-- or |closes for future dates -->
| rebuilt       = 
| reopened      = <!-- or |reopens for future dates -->
| owner         = 
| operator      = 
| traffic       = [[Rail transport|Railroad]]
| character     = Primarily freight service<br />Some passenger service ([[Amtrak]])<!-- Empire Builder -->
| engineer      = 
| construction  = 
| length        = {{convert|7.80|mi|2}} <!-- 41,183 ft -->
| linelength    = 
| tracklength   = 
| notrack       = [[Single-track railway|Single]] 
| gauge         = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| el            = 
| speed         = 
| hielevation   = {{convert|2881|ft|-1}}
| lowelevation  = 
| height        = 
| width         =
| depth_below_water =
| shipping_clearance_above = 
| grade         = 
| map           = [[File:Cascade Tunnel Stevens Pass.jpg|250px]]
| extra         = {{Infobox mapframe}}
}}
The '''Cascade Tunnel''' refers to two [[Rail Transport|railroad]] [[tunnel]]s, its original tunnel and its replacement, in the [[Pacific Northwest|northwest]] [[United States]], east of the [[Seattle metropolitan area]] in the [[Cascade Range]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]], at [[Stevens Pass]]. It is approximately {{convert|65|mi|round=5}} east of [[Everett, Washington|Everett]], with both portals adjacent to {{nowrap|[[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|U.S. Route 2]].}} Both single-track tunnels were constructed by the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]].

The first was {{convert|2.63|mi}} in length and opened in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on the original line that had eight [[Zig zag (railway)|zig zags]] ([[Hairpin turn|switchbacks]]). The current tunnel is {{convert|7.8|mi}}<!--41,183 feet--> in length and entered service in early {{nowrap|1929,<ref name=gtoprdy/><ref name=wonbore/>}} approximately {{convert|1.5|mi}} south of and {{convert|500|ft}} lower in [[elevation]] than the original. The present east portal is nearly {{convert|4|mi|round=0.5|spell=in}} east of the original and is at {{convert|2881|ft}} above [[sea level]], {{convert|1180|ft}} below the pass. The tunnel connects Berne in [[Chelan County, Washington|Chelan County]] on its east with [[Scenic Hot Springs]] in [[King County, Washington|King County]] on its west and is the longest railroad tunnel in the United States.