Gornergratbahn

The Gornergrat Bahn ( GGB ) Zermatt is an electrically operated rack railway to the Gornergrat in the Monte Rosa region in Switzerland and is behind the Jungfrau Railway, the second highest mountain railway in Europe. The Gornergrat is a destination that offers a panoramic view of Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn and is also a popular winter sports resort.

History

After the opening of the Visp- Zermatt -Bahn ( VZ ) in 1891, efforts were made a scenic railway from Zermatt up into the Monte Rosa massif erect. It was originally planned, the Visp- Zermatt -Bahn continue to the hamlet to the lake and run from there a cable car to the mountain sheep and a cog railway to Whymperhütte at the foot of the Matterhorn. Following the granting of the concession in 1892 began construction in 1896 and on November 24, 1897 the first locomotive runs were performed. The official opening of the GGB Gornergrat -Bahn took place on 20 August 1898.

The Gornergrat railway was built as narrow gauge railway with a track width of 1000 mm with the gear system abbot and was electrified from the outset with AC. Therefore, every track has two contact lines and locomotives two adjacent pantographs. However, this allowed a simple electrical structure in the vehicle, which made ​​her the first electric cog railway in Switzerland. The operating current with a frequency of 40 Hz was supplied by a hydroelectric plant and transformed down from 5400 V to 550 V. In 1930 the vehicles were converted to alternating current system still in use today with 750 V voltage and a frequency of 50 Hz in order to purchase electricity directly from the national grid can.

In 1909, the line was extended on the Gornergrat to 310 m to the end station closer to the summit. Until 1928, the Gornergrat Bahn only in the summer, for the first time also drove trains during the winter, depending on snow conditions up to Riffelalp or Riffelboden. The most avalanche prone section Riffelbord prevented the train to the summit. 1939, work began on constructing a 770 -meter-long avalanche gallery, but, on account of World War II until 1941. Since 1942, the winter is now possible under good weather conditions, even to the end station Gornergrat. Since the speed of the previous locomotives of 7 km / h the rising winter sports traffic was no longer meeting, 1947, the first of a new series of railcars was procured, which shortened the travel time by half.

In 1997, the Société de chemin de fer du Gornergrat was ( Gornergrat Railway Company ) renamed to Gornergrat - Monte Rosa railways, to indicate that on the Gornergrat also existing cable cars. After the cable cars were introduced in the Zermatt Tourismus, the General Assembly decided again from 1 April 2005 the name Gornergrat Bahn AG to accept. In May 2005, acquired the BVZ Holding - the majority shareholder of the Matterhorn- Gotthard -Bahn - 44.3 percent of the share capital and submitted to the shareholders a takeover bid. Then, a merger agreement was completed in September 2005 and the GGB transferred in October to a wholly owned subsidiary of BVZ Holding. The previous Gornergrat Bahn AG was liquidated and deleted from the commercial register on 20 October 2005, the above-mentioned subsidiary of BVZ Holding ( the former Furka -Oberalp -Tours AG) Gornergrat Bahn AG for it took the name ( Gornergrat chemin de fer SA) ( Gornergrat railways Ltd. ) to.

Route description

Course

The route starts in Zermatt next to the station of the Matterhorn- Gotthard -Bahn, at 1604 m above sea level and leads with a maximum gradient of 20 % to a length of about 9 km up to the Gornergrat at 3089 m above sea level.

Operating points

The Riffelalp is the first stop of the Gornergrat Bahn. It is situated on 2211 meters height just above the tree line and has many features of an Alp. The Riffelalp is the starting point for many hikes to Findeln, Gant, Green Lake near Zermatt, Riffelberg or Gornergrat. Near the station Riffelalp the hotel is located Riffelalp that because of the selected lines could not be connected directly to the track. The hotel was connected in 1899 on the 500-yard- long Riffelalptram ( RiT ), an electrically powered tram. After the hotel burned down in 1961, which Riffelalptram was shut down. After the opening of new hotels in 2000, the RiT was rebuilt and reopened in 2001.

Riffelberg is another intermediate station of the Gornergrat Bahn, at 2582 meters above sea level. From Riffelberg one has a good view of the 4478 meter high Matterhorn. Since December 2006, the fluted mountain is connected to the Furi (1850 m ) via a cable car that crosses Schweigmatten. The chairlift " Gifthittli " is located on the mountain Riffel, who also is the lower end of the Zermatt Schlittelparadieses.

Red soil is the last stop before the Gornergrat. In the wintertime, one of the five Igludörfer of Switzerland on site. Near Red soil is the chairlift " Gifthittli " whose mountain station reaches almost as far as Gornergrat. Here is the start of the Zermatt Schlittelparadieses. In addition, Red soil is the starting point of the path to Monte Rosa Hut.

Rolling stock

The vehicles used have a total of 3634 seats and standing places with a transport capacity of 2400 people per hour.

  • He 2/2 3001-3003 (1898 ) 3002 scrapped in 2007 placed in the roundabout at Stalden VS ( Killerhofbrücke ) since May 23, 2007
  • Bhe 2/4 3011-3022 (1947,1952,1954,1959,1961) 3011 scrapped in 2009 3012 scrapped in 2007 3013 scrapped in 2007 3014 scrapped in 2007 3015 rebuilt in 2004 in Dhe 2/4 3015 3016 scrapped in 2008 3017 converted to a company car with material for re-railing and apparatus for spraying the catenary (glycerol to prevent ice formation on the contact wire ) 3018 scrapped in 2006
  • Bhe 4/8 3041-3044 (1965.1975) 2001-2003 modernized and fitted with multiple unit control
  • Bhe 4/4 3061-3062 (1981 ) associated control car Bt 3071-3072 in the summer months, usually without tax wagons for the carriage of freight cars in use
  • Bhe 4/8 3051-3054 (1993 )
  • Bhe 4/6 3081-3084 (2006)
  • Bt 3071-3072 (1981) matching Bhe 4/4 3061-3062
  • Dhe 2/4 3015 (modification 2004), ex Bhe 2/4 3015 (1954 )
  • XHE 2/4 3017 (modification 2008), ex Bhe 2/4 3017 (1959 )
  • Kklm 3601, Kkl 3611 ( low side car )
  • ( the dump truck Fd 3784-85 went 2004 to the MGB, new 2784-85 )
  • Hk -v 3801 ( boxcar, also stored )
  • Uh -v 3891 (water tankers )
  • X 3911 ( catenary installation wagon )
  • X 3912 ( crane truck )
  • Xrote 3931 ( snow blower )
  • Xrote 3932 ( snow blower )

Bhe 2/4 3020 at the mountain station Gornergrat

Two Bhe 4/6 are traveling downhill above Riffelberg

Two Bhe 4/8 meet above Riffelberg

Bhe 4/8 in the old color scheme in the service station Riffelboden

Bhe 4/8 in a new color between red soil and Gornergrat

Film

  • SWR: Railroad Romance - The Gornergrat Bahn ( episode 333)
Metre gauge Grade (slope) Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Wintersport Gondola lift Eisenbahn-Romantik Integrated Authority File
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