| Vale Tunnel | |
|---|---|
| Carries | formerly 1 track of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad |
| Crosses | Bannister Road |
| Locale | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Design | Concrete Tunnel |
| Opening date | 1905 |
| Destruction date | 1981 |
The Vale Tunnel is a railway tunnel south of Raytown, Missouri, but is actually located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was built by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad in 1905, and is tunnel four of a total of five on the entire Rock Island railroad. The tunnel is part of the Kansas City to St. Louis, Missouri line, and travels beneath Bannister Road, in south Kansas City. In 1980, the Rock Island filed bankruptcy, was liquidated in court, with tunnel and the line being sold to St. Louis Southwesten (AKA Cotten Belt).
The Kansas City Terminal Railway used the line for about a year, but it was too far in disrepair to continue use of that line. The tunnel is 441 feet long.
There have been several owners of the line since 1980, after the Rock Island went bankrupt. Although there have been several court battles over the threat of the reopening of the line, it remains to be the property of the Union Pacific Railroad, and remains embargoed (unused) at this time. Most of the line remains intact as does the tunnel, except for a few places where it has been cut for road improvements. It is doubtful that the line will ever be reopened.
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