Re: Stevens Pass Capacity
Author: S. L. Murray
Date: 01-22-2007 - 21:24
For the most part, capacity on Stevens Pass is more limited by the overall lack of passing tracks than the tunnel itself. There was a pretty interesting thread on Train Orders a year or so back, with many posts by those involved from BN who studied Stevens vs. Stampede vs. Milwaukee, etc. In summary, you could spend a ton of money to increase the capacity of the Cascade Tunnel, but you would then have to spend a large multiple over that to add passing tracks on the sides of mountains, etc.
The conclusion was there is no economical way to add additional capacity to Stevens Pass.