The Freeburg Tunnel is a railway tunnel in
Missouri. Construction on what was then the
St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado Railroad began in 1901. It was completed in 1903 by the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and abandoned in 1980. The tunnel is one of four on the Kansas City–St. Louis
Missouri line.
On June 7, 1917, westbound Rock Island passenger train number 23
collided head-on with a freight train at the tunnel, killing the engineer of No. 23, and injuring several others.
In 1963 the floor of the tunnel was lowered by to allow it to accommodate
autoracks. This work was completed in early July 1963.
The tunnel is owned by
Ameren, who was working in 2016 with the State of Missouri to convert the line to a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
connected on the west end to
Rock Island Trail State Park.
References
External links
RI - Freeburg Tunnel''BridgeHunter''
CRI&P Freeburg Tunnel 1 (Freeburg, Missouri)''Wikimapia''
{{Authority control
Railway tunnels in Missouri
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Buildings and structures in Osage County, Missouri
Tunnels completed in 1903