# Scenic Subdivision

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The **Scenic Subdivision** or **Scenic Sub** is a railroad line running about 155 miles (249 km) from [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle,_Washington) to [Wenatchee, Washington](/source/Wenatchee,_Washington). It is operated by [BNSF Railway](/source/BNSF_Railway) as part of their [Northern Transcon](/source/Northern_Transcon). This route includes the [Cascade Tunnel](/source/Cascade_Tunnel), as well as the 1893 site of the "last spike" near [Scenic, Washington](/source/Scenic,_Washington), which marked the completion for the [Great Northern Railway](/source/Great_Northern_Railway_(U.S.)) transcontinental railway line built by [James J. Hill](/source/James_J._Hill).[1]

Current operations are limited to 30 trains per day due to ventilation capacity with the [Cascade Tunnel](/source/Cascade_Tunnel).[2]

## Description

Traveling east from the [King Street Station](/source/King_Street_Station) in [Seattle](/source/Seattle,_Washington), the main line of the BNSF heads north through the [Great Northern Tunnel](/source/Great_Northern_Tunnel) under downtown Seattle. After exiting the tunnel, the main line continues north through the [Interbay](/source/Interbay,_Seattle) neighborhood and the [Balmer Railyard](/source/Balmer_Yard). The line then crosses the [Lake Washington Ship Canal](/source/Lake_Washington_Ship_Canal) on the [Salmon Bay Bridge](/source/Salmon_Bay_Bridge) and passes through the [Ballard](/source/Ballard,_Seattle,_Washington) neighborhood. The line passes through [Golden Gardens Park](/source/Golden_Gardens_Park) in Ballard, which has been the site of several incidents involving pedestrians crossing the tracks. Several accidents proved fatal.[3]

The main line then continues north along the shore of [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound) through the cities of [Edmonds](/source/Edmonds,_Washington) and [Mukilteo](/source/Mukilteo,_Washington), past [Rucker Hill](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Snohomish_County,_Washington), near downtown [Everett](/source/Everett,_Washington), to the old Everett Station, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900. This section of the main line from Seattle to Everett is mostly double track with BNSF planning to double track the remaining single track in conjunction with changes planned by [Sound Transit](/source/Sound_Transit).[4] From the old Everett Station the main line becomes single track making a nearly 180 degree turn through a partially covered cut through downtown Everett to the new [Everett Station](/source/Everett_Station).

From the new station, the main line heads southeast along the [Snohomish River](/source/Snohomish_River) through the cities of [Snohomish](/source/Snohomish,_Washington) and [Monroe](/source/Monroe,_Washington). From Monroe, the main line follows the [Skykomish River](/source/Skykomish_River) through the towns of [Index](/source/Index,_Washington) and [Skykomish](/source/Skykomish,_Washington) to the western portal of the current [Cascade Tunnel](/source/Cascade_Tunnel). East of Everett, the route is single track except for passing sidings. To the east of [Gold Bar](/source/Gold_Bar,_Washington), the route is mainly located on narrow ledges as it crosses back and forth across the Skykomish, [South Fork of the Skykomish](/source/South_Fork_Skykomish_River), and the [Foss Rivers](/source/Foss_River). A steep ascent/descent (2.2%) starts in the vicinity of eastern Skykomish and continues through the tunnel to [Merritt](/source/Merritt,_Washington). At Skykomish are facilities for turning equipment, mainly for snow fighting. Skykomish was also the end of electrification when the line was electrified from Wenatchee to Skykomish in 1928-1929. In 1928, a new electrical power plant was sited there as well but is now demolished.

After summiting the [Cascade Range](/source/Cascade_Range) near [Berne](/source/Berne,_Washington), the line starts a steep (2.2%) descent at a 2.2% grade, passing through the [Gaynor Tunnel](/source/Gaynor_Tunnel), and on to Merritt. Merritt is the site of a maintenance base with a turning facility for snow fighting equipment. To the east of [Winton](/source/Winton,_Washington) was the junction with the original right of way, and a 1928 line relocation project called the Chumstick Cutoff. This project included the construction of the [Winton](/source/Winton_Tunnel), [Swede](/source/Swede_Tunnel) and [Chumstick Tunnels](/source/Chumstick_Tunnel). [U.S. Route 2](/source/U.S._Route_2_in_Washington) is now located on the original right of way between this point and [Leavenworth](/source/Leavenworth,_Washington). Utilizing the Chumstick Cutoff, the line now goes down the [Chumstick Valley](/source/Chumstick_Valley), after going through the Winton and Swede Tunnels, crossing the Wenatchee River and then passing through the Chumstick Tunnel.

Up until the building of the Chumstick Cutoff and the current Cascade Tunnel, and the electrification of a majority of the subdivision in 1927–1929, Leavenworth was the division point. This was moved to its current location in [Wenatchee](/source/Wenatchee,_Washington) in 1928–1929.

Starting near Leavenworth, the current line follows the [Wenatchee River](/source/Wenatchee_River) valley to the city of Wenatchee and the [Columbia River](/source/Columbia_River). This area has a historic past, and is known for fruit production, particularly apples, pears and cherries. The railroad follows the river through countless fruit groves and passes the communities of [Peshastin](/source/Peshastin,_Washington), [Dryden](/source/Dryden,_Washington), [Cashmere](/source/Cashmere,_Washington), and [Monitor](/source/Monitor,_Washington), before arriving in the Wenatchee area. At Wenatchee, there is a small industrial base served by the railroad as well as a yard (Appleyard) used mainly during the fruit harvest season.

## History

The Coast Line was reconstructed in 1907 and 1908 to add a [seawall](/source/Seawall) that protects the tracks from the high tide of Puget Sound.[5] The section between [Gold Bar](/source/Gold_Bar,_Washington) and [Index](/source/Index,_Washington) was rebuilt in the early 1960s to eliminate curves and increase train speeds.[6] The changes resulted in a blind hill at an at-grade crossing in Index, where the town was cut off by a new, wider curve.[7][8] The project was completed in late 1967 at a cost of $7.5 million.[9]

The section between Seattle and Everett was the site of several fatal collisions with pedestrians in the 1970s due to its location along the shore. The King and Snohomish county governments constructed several pedestrian overpasses to provide access to public beaches and shorelands over the tracks.[10] The section has also been the site of landslides that caused prolonged closures for passenger and freight service. The [Washington State Department of Transportation](/source/Washington_State_Department_of_Transportation), Sound Transit, and BNSF funded $16.1 million in improvements, including [retaining walls](/source/Retaining_wall), slope stabilization, and landslide detection, beginning in 2014.[11][12]

## References

1. ["Photo of Last Spike Ceremony; Scenic, WA"](https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsrailway/id/98/). *Northwest Railway Museum*. 6 January 1893.

1. ["Washington State 2010–2030 Freight Rail Plan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170210081910/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/34925D95-4F59-44B6-90DD-6BE102B33C15/0/StateFreightRailPlan.pdf). Washington State Department of Transportation State Rail and Marine Office. p. 81. Archived from [the original](http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/34925D95-4F59-44B6-90DD-6BE102B33C15/0/StateFreightRailPlan.pdf) on 10 February 2017.

1. [Disbursement of funds from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund](http://wutc.wa.gov/rms2.nsf/0/eab6dc20fa40d4f488257199007e5437!OpenDocument&Click=)

1. ["Seattle-to-Everett Track & Signal Upgrades"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120228190104/http://projects.soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/Sounder-Track-and-Signal-Improvements/Seattle-to-Everett-Track-and-Signal-Upgrades.xml). Sound Transit. Archived from [the original](http://projects.soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/Sounder-Track-and-Signal-Improvements/Seattle-to-Everett-Track-and-Signal-Upgrades.xml) on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2010.

1. Wodnik, Bob (January 5, 1992). ["Rails brought growth, prosperity to city of Everett"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-rails-brought-growth-p/163393852/). *[The Everett Herald](/source/The_Everett_Herald)*. p. 4A. Retrieved January 18, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Straighter, Faster"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-straighter-faster/164888223/). *The Everett Herald*. November 23, 1963. p. 2. Retrieved February 6, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Index Seeks RR Crossing Safety"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-seeks-rr-crossing/164888275/). *The Everett Herald*. December 8, 1964. p. 1B. Retrieved February 6, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Hagman, Tye (March 15, 1964). "Index—A Town Split in Two by a Railroad". *The Seattle Times*. p. 4.

1. Barr, Robert A. (August 13, 1967). "Great Northern Skykomish River Project Moves Into Final Stages". *The Seattle Times*. p. 16.

1. Macdonald, Sally & Bergsman, Jerry (July 1, 1981). "Death traps: Parks near shore need overpasses to cross railroads". *The Seattle Times*. p. F1.

1. Haglund, Noah (August 20, 2015). ["Crews work to ensure trains will keep rolling when rains hit"](https://www.heraldnet.com/news/crews-work-to-ensure-trains-will-keep-rolling-when-rains-hit/). *The Everett Herald*. Retrieved May 22, 2020.

1. Brayn, Zachariah (November 18, 2018). ["Puget Sound rail services avoid landslides with science"](https://www.heraldnet.com/news/puget-sound-rail-lines-fight-landslides-with-science/). *The Everett Herald*. Retrieved May 22, 2020.

## External links

- [BNSF Subdivisions](https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/maps-and-shipping-locations/pdf/subdivisions-map.pdf)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Scenic Subdivision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenic_Subdivision) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenic_Subdivision?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.