Tatra Electric Railways (TEŽ) have been ecological transport in the High Tatras since the beginning. They are the oldest electrified railways in Slovakia electrified simultaneously with the construction of railway.
TEŽ is also the mountain track with the largest adhesive climb in the Railways of Slovak Republic network – 59 per mile. The total length of the track is 35 km, of which 19 km are in curves. Undulating track trajectory reacts sensitively to the configuration of terrain and provides new scenery of views of the Tatra nature.
TEŽ power supply system is DC voltage 1500V, track gauge is 1000 mm. The maximum track speed is 60 km/h.
The route of the tracks and appearance of some station buildings have not changed to this day – e.g. the stations in Tatranská Lomnica and Stary Smokovec document the style of buildings from period of the first trains. Increase in the number of passengers and increasing demands for passenger safety and comfort required the replacement of the original stations with new buildings. The construction of a new station complex with a mixed gauge of 1435/1000 mm in Poprad in 1991 required a complete rerouting of the TEŽ via the Poprad bypass in Poprad Tatry – Veľký Slavkov section.
Tatra Electric Railways Complex also includes several specific technical and operational facilities supporting the reliability, safety and comfort of the services provided.
“Double-gauge” locomotive depot in Poprad technically serves for locomotives of normal gauge of standard train lines, as well as for special locomotives of 1000 mm gauge of TEŽ network, and in the case of major repairs, also for cogs trains from Štrba.
Even though TEŽ lines are single-track, operation of electric passenger trains is ensured smoothly thanks to switches – in Velky Slavkov, Pod Lesom, Starý Smokovec, Tatranská Polianka and Vyšné Hágy railway stations. Double-jointed sets ensure operation on Starý Smokovec – Tatranská Lomnica line in a shuttle manner, since there are only stops without the possibility of crossing trains. Track triangle in Veľky Slavkov is used to turn electrical units if necessary. Historic electric current traction transformer in Horny Smokovec built in 1912 is still functional today, it is a national cultural monument.
TEŽ mobile equipment park is mainly represented by train sets, including functional historical locomotives and other vehicles. Special auxiliary vehicles are used for the purposes of repairs, exceptional transport interventions, and maintenance of track and catenary line.
Although “Zubatshka” does not belong to the TEŽ complex, it complements them with its location and services. The rack narrow-gauge railway (in slovak: zubatshka) on the route Štrba – Štrbské Pleso was built in 1896. It served as the shortest connection between the long-distance railway line Bohumín – Košice and the attractive alpine environment. The track was originally built for steam propulsion. In 1970, a newly built rack electrified line was built. The line is powered from the Štrba substation. The maximum gradient on the 5 km long track is 150 per mile, while there are 47530 teeth (10 teeth per one meter).
The entire TEŽ complex, including the cogwheel, is still fully functional and effectively ensures ecological passenger transport within the protected area of the Tatra National Park.
The TEŽ transport system was equipped with its own energy source from the beginning: it consisted of the Power Plant in Poprad, a 15 kV high-voltage electric current transmission route and an electric current transformer in Horny Smokovec.
The original line from Poprad to Starý Smokovec (functional since 1908, source of electric current is the hydroelectric power plant in Veľká pri Poprad) was to be extended to Tatranská Lomnica and Štrbské Pleso (1911). Then there was a need to build a new powerful source of electric current. The new steam power plant was built near the Poprad railway station on the Košice-Bohumín line in order to minimize the cost of transporting coal for steam production. It was put into operation in August 1912.
The power plant is a block building with production premises: two parallel adjacent halls (a boiler room for steam production and an engine room – a hall with generators) enclose a tract with a substation accented by an elevated tower in the corner and a control room. (see Photo)
To this day, the building has been preserved in its original volumetric composition, including the basement and the flue gas exhaust. The original arrangement of spaces, the original rope trusses of the roof and the raised gallery with a staircase and decorative railing in the former generator hall have been preserved. The original machinery has not been preserved. Today the building serves the Tatra Gallery.
The facades are designed uniformly: a combination of dark red brick fittings in the corners and an arched frieze under the crown cornice contrastingly frame the ocher-light surfaces of the plastered walls with a Cyclopean stone masonry plinth. Tall vertical window openings perforate all perimeter walls.
The building of the electric current traction transformer in Horny Smokovec (in the Pekná vyhlídka section) was built in the same period as the steam power plant in Poprad: with which it was connected by a 15kV high-voltage line. both buildings were commissioned in 1912.
The purpose of the transformer building has remained the same since its inception: to change alternating current produced in the power plant (later from the public network) into direct current for the needs of the traction lines of the Tatra Electric Railways. The building still serves this purpose today. Technological equipment from the time of its creation is still functional and serves today. The switchgear technology – thanks to the accumulator battery – made it possible to run trams ALSO during power outages from the network.
The appearance of the object has basically not changed since its inception. The technology hall of the exchange office with the accent of the elevated tower is clearly acknowledged. There is a living area for the staff in a complementary position to the hall. The building is built in the art nouveau style of stylized geometric forms. As in the power plant in Poprad, red unplastered brickwork is combined with plastered light ocher walls: it frames corners, cornices, decorative moldings and all openings to the building. The walls have a high plinth made of stone cyclopean masonry, the metal windows in the technological part have a grid of small glass panels.
In both buildings, the roofing using rope trusses and plastic decorative treatment of the walls in the main hall have been preserved.
Craftsmanship-perfect details, generous spatial solutions and imaginative architectural expression show that these are not just strictly purpose-built buildings: both buildings are individually aesthetically conceived and radiate a contemporary atmosphere of enthusiasm for industrial progress.
For both buildings, the author of the project is unknown. Only the construction company that probably built both buildings is known.
The building and equipment of the switchyard in Horny Smokovec together with the power plant in Poprad give a picture of the technical solution of one of the first electric railways in Slovakia, and this is precisely where the uniqueness of this complex lies.
