Stadler has secured a contract to deliver rolling stock suitable for operation in mountainous regions, such as the High Tatras mountain range in Slovakia. The manufacturer is to deliver five rack-and-pinion/adhesion traction GTW-type multiple units and a multifunctional rack-and-pinion/adhesion traction locomotive for the Slovakian rail operator ŽSSK. The vehicles are to be deployed on the Tatra Electric Railway (TEŽ) in the High Tatras mountain range.

The track-and-pinion system is often used in mountainous areas The rack railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail. The trains are fitted with pinions that mesh with this rack rail.

The passenger vehicles are GTW-type low-floor units, adapted for combined rack-and-pinion and adhesion traction operation. The five new multiple units each offer 91 seats and two wheelchair spaces as well as multifunctional zones for bicycles and pushchairs. They are equipped with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and a passenger information system as well as a video system and passenger counting facilities.

Locomotive

The multifunctional locomotive has an electric drive and a diesel engine, which meets EURO-IIIB emissions standards. In winter, a snow blower can be fitted onto the locomotive to clear snow from the TEŽ tracks. The vehicle can also be operated remotely by radio transmission.

The vehicles will be rolled out in 2022 on the rack-and-pinion and adhesion traction TEŽ in the High Tatras.