Two dedicated chalets for employees

Story 116

In 1907, accommodation for employees in Zermatt was so scarce that the Board of Directors of the Gornergrat Railway got involved. As a result, the Gornergrat Railway created accommodation for 35 employees.

The annual report of the Gornergrat Railway from 1907 states: “For several years now, the living space has no longer been sufficient to accommodate our staff.” The Board of Directors therefore decided to construct two residential chalets, which were to be made available to employees.

Own land use

In order to implement the decision, the Gornergrat Railway tried to purchase a strip of land 116 years ago. However, as no agreement could be reached with the landowner, the company’s own land was used for the two planned chalets. The first chalet was built at the depot at Zermatt railway station.

In addition to four bedrooms for the train staff, the chalet offers a first-aid room, a meeting room, a small apartment for the station manager, a storage room and a carpentry workshop on the ground floor, as well as a kitchen, dining room and bathroom for the employees.

Annual report of the Gornergrat Railway

The second, smaller chalet contained two apartments with three rooms each and a kitchen for the power plant staff. Due to lack of land, it was built near the headquarters.

The housing shortage persists

With the development of tourism in Zermatt, it was difficult for employees of the Gornergrat Railway to find suitable living space even in the 1970s. This is why the company built a house for employees in 1972.