Jenson Tunnel
North Entrance of Jenson Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | KCS-Backbone Tunnel |
| Location | Le Flore County, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates | 35°13′3.3″N 94°26′34.4″W / 35.217583°N 94.442889°W |
| Status | Active |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1885 |
| Opened | 1886 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1180 |
| Track gauge | Standard |
| Lowest elevation | 600 feet |
| Tunnel clearance | 20.0 feet |
| Width | 14.0 feet |
Jenson Railroad Tunnel is the first and only railroad tunnel in the present state of Oklahoma. It was constructed through Backbone Mountain during 1885–86, by the Fort Smith & Southern Railway (FSSR). and has remained in service until the present. At the time it was built, the tunnel was located in the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory. Since Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the tunnel site has been part of Le Flore County, Oklahoma. It is now primarily used by the Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS), and is sometimes referred to as the KCS - Jenson Tunnel.