Szklarska Poręba Tunnel
| Szklarska Poręba Tunnel | |
|---|---|
Northern portal of the tunnel | |
Interactive map of Szklarska Poręba Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Moltke-Tunnel (German) |
| Line | railway line no. 311 |
| Location | Szklarska Poręba / Piechowice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Status | Active |
| Crosses | Zbójnickie Skały, Jizera Mountains |
| Start | Górzyniec side |
| End | Szklarska Poręba Dolna side |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1902[1] |
| Owner | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Operator | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Traffic | Railway |
| Character | Single-track railway tunnel |
| Technical | |
| Length | 145 m (476 ft)[2] |
The Szklarska Poręba Tunnel (Polish: Tunel pod Zbójnickimi Skałami; German: Moltke-Tunnel) is a railway tunnel in south-western Poland, on railway line no. 311 between Górzyniec and Szklarska Poręba Dolna, on the route from Jelenia Góra to Harrachov.[2][1] It passes beneath the rocky slope of Zbójnickie Skały in the Jizera Mountains.[2]
The tunnel is the only railway tunnel on the historic Jelenia Góra–Kořenov mountain line that lies within the present-day borders of Poland.[2]
Description
The tunnel is situated near Szklarska Poręba Dolna, beneath Zbójnickie Skały at an elevation of about 405 m (1,329 ft) above sea level.[2] It has a length of 145 m (476 ft) and runs on a curve.[2]
The structure was built as a single-track tunnel with a stone lining.[2] According to local railway history studies, the route at this point could not be carried past the Moltkefels area without piercing a tunnel, owing to the difficult terrain near the planned Nieder Schreiberhau station.[1]
History
The tunnel was built as part of the extension of the railway from Piechowice towards Szklarska Poręba and the Bohemian frontier.[1] Preparatory debates over the alignment of the line took place in the 1890s, as Prussian and Austro-Hungarian railway planning sought to connect the Jelenia Góra region with the Tanvald area.[1]
According to the history of railways in Szklarska Poręba, tunnelling work began from both sides at the end of 1900 and was completed in September 1901.[1] Preidl states that the mountain line itself was completed in 1905, while the tunnel was already in service on the earlier section leading to Szklarska Poręba.[2]
The line through the tunnel was later electrified as part of the wider electrification of mountain railways in Lower Silesia during the early 20th century.[1]
Present use
The tunnel remains in railway use as part of line no. 311, which continues to carry passenger traffic in the Jelenia Góra–Szklarska Poręba corridor and onward towards the Czech border.[3][4]
The route has undergone modernisation works in the 21st century, including infrastructure renewal on the Jelenia Góra–Szklarska Poręba section.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Dzieje kolei w Szklarskiej Porębie" (PDF) (in Polish). as.rumia.edu.pl. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Preidl, Wojciech (2005). "Dolnośląskie tunele kolejowe – zabytki techniki" (PDF). Górnictwo i Geoinżynieria (in Polish). 29 (3/1): 319–329. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ "Szklarska Poręba Średnia – najwyżej położony przystanek z Programu Przystankowego" (in Polish). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Pociągi wróciły na odnowioną trasę Jelenia Góra – Szklarska Poręba" (in Polish). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2026.