Tatra Electric Railway
| KBS 184 Starý Smokovec - Tatranská Lomnica |
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The Tatra Electric Railway (Slovak: Tatranská elektrická železnica), colloquially Tatra Railway, is an electrified single track narrow gauge railway in the Slovak part of the Tatra Mounts. It consists of two parts:
- Poprad - Starý Smokovec - Štrbské Pleso (29,1 km)
- Starý Smokovec - Tatranská Lomnica (5,9 km)
History
After the completion of the Košice-Bohumín Railway in 1871 and of Poprad - Kežmarok in 1892, the High Tatras were easier to access, and tourists started to come, which entailed the need of good accessibility.
In 1896, a rack railway from Štrbské Pleso to Štrba was built.
Finally, it was decided to build an electrified, narrow gauge railway from Poprad to Starý Smokovec. Construction started in 1906 and the track was opened in 1908. The leg from Starý Smokovec to Tatranská Lomnica was opened in 1911 and a final part from Starý Smokovec to Štrbské Pleso was opened in 1912. At that time, the railway was used for passenger, as well for cargo transport.
In 1948, the railway was nationalised, from 1950 to 1992 it was managed by the Czechoslovak State Railways and since 1993 by the Railways of the Slovak Republic.
In the second half of 1960s, the railway underwent major reconstruction and since 1970 only passenger service is provided.
cs:Tatranská železnice de:Elektrische Tatrabahn sk:Tatranská elektrická železnica
