| Great Northern Tunnel | |
| Line: | Scenic Subdivision |
| Location: | Seattle, Washington |
| Coordinates: | 47.604°N -122.333°W |
| System: | Amtrak Empire Builder Amtrak Cascades Sounder commuter rail Northern Transcon |
| Status: | Active |
| Opened: | 1905 |
| Owner: | BNSF Burlington Northern Railroad (1970-1995) Great Northern Railway (original) |
| Operator: | BNSF |
| Character: | passenger, freight |
| Notrack: | 2 |
| Gauge: | (standard gauge) |
| Height: | 28feet |
The Great Northern Tunnel is a 1miles 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 28feet high and 30feet wide.[1]
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]
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.