Trains.com

Amtrak's 18 tunnels ?

3135 views
14 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Nanaimo BC Canada
  • 4,117 posts
Amtrak's 18 tunnels ?
Posted by nanaimo73 on Friday, November 16, 2007 11:27 AM

Amtrak's website says their network includes 18 tunnels. I believe the total should be about 100, so they are only counting their own trackage (?). 18 does seem a little high to me for the Northeast Corridor though.

I know there is one in DC, 4 (?) in Baltimore, 3 in New York City, 1 in New Haven, 1 in Providence and 1 at Back Bay. Would anyone happen to know of any others ?

Dale
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • 2,366 posts
Posted by timz on Saturday, November 17, 2007 12:40 PM

You could reasonably say there are two tunnels under the Hudson and four under the East River--  they're side by side, but they're individual tunnels. Still sounds hard to get to 18, tho.

Does Amtrak own the tunnel in Washington? 

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: SW Chicago Suburbs
  • 788 posts
Posted by Mr_Ash on Saturday, November 17, 2007 3:07 PM
What about the Moffat Tunnel Confused [%-)]
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, November 17, 2007 9:35 PM

 Mr_Ash wrote:
What about the Moffat Tunnel Confused [%-)]

That's BNSF-owned, and if we counted all the tunnels on all the Class One's that play Host Road to Amtrak passenger trains, there would indeed be dozens and more.  If people say it totals over 100, I believe them.  -  a. s. 

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, November 17, 2007 9:39 PM

....System wide {including host RR's}, there must be at least 100 or more....

Quentin

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 17, 2007 10:10 PM
If you're counting system wide, there are 50 tunnels on the Coast Starlight route alone.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10:44 PM
 al-in-chgo wrote:

 Mr_Ash wrote:
What about the Moffat Tunnel Confused [%-)]

That's BNSF-owned, and if we counted all the tunnels on all the Class One's that play Host Road to Amtrak passenger trains, there would indeed be dozens and more.  If people say it totals over 100, I believe them.  -  a. s. 

Unless it's been moved recently the Moffat is on the former Rio Grande main between Denver and Salt Lake which is now a part of the UP not BNSF.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:07 PM
 KCSfan wrote:
 al-in-chgo wrote:

 Mr_Ash wrote:
What about the Moffat Tunnel Confused [%-)]

That's BNSF-owned, and if we counted all the tunnels on all the Class One's that play Host Road to Amtrak passenger trains, there would indeed be dozens and more.  If people say it totals over 100, I believe them.  -  a. s. 

Unless it's been moved recently the Moffat is on the former Rio Grande main between Denver and Salt Lake which is now a part of the UP not BNSF.

 

Mea culpa!  But the tunnel count stays the same.

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: US
  • 383 posts
Posted by CG9602 on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 4:57 PM
Along the route of the Empire Builder, there is the Cascade Tunnel, and also the tunnel between Tomah and La Crosse, Wisconsin.
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:58 PM
 al-in-chgo wrote:
 KCSfan wrote:
 al-in-chgo wrote:

 Mr_Ash wrote:
What about the Moffat Tunnel Confused [%-)]

That's BNSF-owned, and if we counted all the tunnels on all the Class One's that play Host Road to Amtrak passenger trains, there would indeed be dozens and more.  If people say it totals over 100, I believe them.  -  a. s. 

Unless it's been moved recently the Moffat is on the former Rio Grande main between Denver and Salt Lake which is now a part of the UP not BNSF.

 

Mea culpa!  But the tunnel count stays the same.

 BNSF does have trackage rights thru itWink [;)]

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: NW Wisconsin
  • 3,857 posts
Posted by beaulieu on Thursday, November 22, 2007 12:33 AM
There are two tunnels at Zoo Interlocking in Philadelphia that for sure belong to Amtrak, there is a third tunnel  at Zoo leading to the Belmont Branch that may or may not belong to Amtrak. Don't forget the tunnel on the West Side Connector in NYC. There are 4 tunnels at Baltimore, the 3 "B&P" Tunnels south of the station and Union Tunnel to the north. There is a short tunnel at the east end of Sunnyside yard on the loop (service trackage, not mainline).
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Nanaimo BC Canada
  • 4,117 posts
Posted by nanaimo73 on Thursday, November 22, 2007 1:32 AM

Thanks John. I looked at the website again and I noticed it says 17, not 18.

Regarding the entire 21,000 network, the tunnel total may be closer to 150 than 100. And it would probably take me at least 150 hours to surf every mile on Wikimapia or Terraserver. Yuck ! And even then I'd miss a few, like this one in Columbia, SC.

Dale
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 193 posts
Posted by THE.RR on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:19 AM
If THAT qualifies as a tunnel, then the Amtrak total is probably closer to 200 or 250.

Timber Head Eastern Railroad "THE Railroad Through the Sierras"

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, December 6, 2007 3:38 PM
Did you include the tunnels on both sides of NYC to and from Sunnyside in Long Island?  There aren't any on the corridor between New York and Baltimore.  First tunnel west on the PRR is Spruce Creek halfway to Altoona unless they consider the duck unders at Zoo tower as tunnels.  They might also consider the Trenton cut off connection at Morristown PA as a tunell.  Maybe up the old NYC toward Albany.  Where else do they own lines outside the corridor?  They have one in Michigan but I doubt it has any tunnels. 
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 27 posts
Posted by DavidBragdon on Friday, December 7, 2007 12:11 AM

Bellows Falls!  Right near the station.

 

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy