CHF 1.20 per kilometre
Story 18
The Gornergrat offers guests a unique panorama. Gerd invites his family to his 60th birthday on the Gornergrat. 1898.
Long preparation for the big day
Today is a very special day for Gerd. He is celebrating his 60th birthday and has come up with something special. He invites his family to go on an excursion to the Gornergrat. Together with his wife Susanne and their three children, they want to enjoy the beautiful view and have a picnic on the summit.
It’s a sunny day and they’ve packed everything they need in their backpack. Gerd has bought the tickets and meticulously planned the trip. He has worked for a long time and everyone is looking forward to a day in the mountains.
It’s hard to imagine, but it’s 1898. Back then, Zermatt and the Gornergrat Railway looked very different than they do today. Many people needed horses to manage the steep journey from the village up the mountain. The railway had only recently gone into operation, and there were still many difficulties to overcome.
Regulated price: CHF 1.20 per kilometre
The original concession provided for two classes of carriages with correspondingly different fare standards. This was adapted in 1897. The authorities stipulated that a fare of no more than CHF 1.20 per kilometre could be charged for the transport of passengers. At the time, the railway therefore charged a fare of CHF 12 for a single journey of 10 tariff kilometres. For the return journey, a 25% discount was granted on the 20 kilometres and the price was CHF 18.
When you consider that today’s price for a return trip to the Gornergrat is between CHF 88 and CHF 126, you can appreciate how much money Gerd spent on this excursion back then. According to an extrapolation of the fare of CHF 18 on the basis of the national consumer price index (collected by the Federal Statistical Office since 1914), Gerd would pay CHF 200 per person for a return journey today.
Despite the very high price at the time, the excursion was worth every franc for Gerd and his family. They enjoyed the breathtaking view and the picnic together to the full and lived on the fantastic experience for a long time to come.
