Przełęczą Kowarską Tunnel
| Przełęczą Kowarską Tunnel | |
|---|---|
Western portal of the tunnel | |
Interactive map of Przełęczą Kowarską Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Tunnel unter dem Oberschmiedeberg (German) |
| Line | Kamienna Góra–Jelenia Góra railway |
| Location | Kowary / Ogorzelec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Status | Closed |
| Crosses | Przełęcz Kowarska, Karkonosze Mountains |
| Start | Kowary side |
| End | Ogorzelec side |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 4 June 1905[1] |
| Closed | 2007[2] |
| Owner | Polish State Railways |
| Operator | Polish State Railways |
| Traffic | Railway |
| Character | Single-track railway tunnel |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1,025 m (3,363 ft)[2] |
The Przełęczą Kowarską Tunnel (Tunel pod Przełęczą Kowarską; German: Tunnel unter dem Oberschmiedeberg) is a railway tunnel in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of south-western Poland. It runs beneath the Przełęcz Kowarska pass in the Karkonosze Mountains between the towns of Kowary and Ogorzelec. The tunnel formed part of the Kamienna Góra–Jelenia Góra railway and is among the longer historic railway tunnels in Poland.[2]
With a length of 1,025 m (3,363 ft), the structure was built in the early 20th century to enable the railway to cross the mountainous terrain of the Kowarska Pass without steep gradients that would have been difficult for trains to negotiate.[1]
Description
The tunnel runs beneath the Przełęcz Kowarska pass at an elevation of approximately 727 metres above sea level. The route lies in the western Sudetes and forms part of the mountainous railway landscape connecting the towns of Kamienna Góra and Jelenia Góra.[1]
The structure consists of a single masonry-lined bore designed for a single railway track. The tunnel follows a curved alignment, which means that neither portal is visible from the centre of the tunnel. The lining is primarily built of stone and brick, typical of railway tunnels constructed in the region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[2]
After the closure of the railway line, the tracks and sleepers were largely removed, while soot deposits from former steam locomotive traffic remain visible on the walls. Water infiltration occurs in several sections, creating icicles during winter months.[2]
History
The first section of the railway leading to Kowary (then known as Schmiedeberg) was opened in 1882 as part of the expansion of railway infrastructure in the Sudetes region.[1]
Plans to extend the line toward Kamienna Góra required crossing the Oberschmiedeberg ridge at the Kowarska Pass. Because a surface route would have involved gradients too steep for railway operation, engineers decided to construct a tunnel beneath the pass.[1]
Construction began in autumn 1901 but progressed slowly due to difficult geological conditions and several changes of contractors during the works.[1] The tunnel was completed in 1905, and the first train passed through it on 4 June of that year, allowing continuous railway traffic between Kamienna Góra and Jelenia Góra.[1]
In 1932 the line was electrified, enabling heavier trains to operate through the mountainous section and reducing smoke accumulation within the tunnel.[2] After the Second World War, however, the electrification infrastructure was dismantled by the Soviet Union as war reparations, and steam locomotives returned to service on the line.[2]
Railway traffic declined in the late 20th century, and the last trains passed through the tunnel in the 1980s. The railway line was officially closed in 2007.[2]
Present condition
Following the closure of the railway, the tunnel became a site occasionally visited by hikers and urban explorers, although it is not located on an official marked trail. The structure is currently unused and not maintained, and parts of the lining show signs of water leakage and deterioration.[2]
Despite its disused status, the tunnel remains a notable relic of early 20th-century railway engineering in the Sudetes region.[2]