The maiden voyage of POLARIS
Story 34
Shiny and freshly polished, the new trains of the Gornergrat Railway take guests from all over the world from Zermatt to the Gornergrat. The Swiss-made POLARIS cogwheel trains cost 45 million Swiss francs. They were duly celebrated with an opening in September 2022.
When Helmut arrived in Zermatt on 1 September 2022, he was delighted with the weather: There wasn't a cloud in the sky that autumn morning. Together with partners and employees of the Gornergrat Railway, he had been invited to the opening ceremony of the POLARIS as a pensioner. Helmut was excited about the new vehicle that from now on would be taking passengers from Zermatt to the Gornergrat ridge. From the platform, he watched the POLARS leaving the depot for the first time. Smoke and a light show made the appearance spectacular. Guests pulled out their mobile phones to take photos of the 34.6-metre train.
What POLARIS has to offer
Helmut got in. He was delighted to meet many friends and acquaintances he had not seen for a long time at the opening ceremony. The partners and employees enthusiastically used the 112 standing places, 104 seats and two wheelchair spaces. Many people took photos, and through the lowered windows they were able to capture the breathtaking panoramic view of the village and the Matterhorn without the problem of glare. They travelled up to the Gornergrat at 30 km/h.
The opening ceremony
Once at the top, they enjoyed the opening ceremony. In his speech, Fernando Lehner, CEO of Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and BVZ Holding AG, said: “The new multiple-unit trains are a milestone in the further development of the Gornergrat as a near-natural excursion mountain. Today we are opening a new chapter in the history of the Gornergrat Railway.”
A brass ensemble from the Lötschental valley played during the celebration. Helmut listened to the music before visiting the multimedia experience world “ZOOOM The Matterhorn – See. Feel. Marvel.".
The invited guests and Helmut, who worked for a long time for Gornergrat Railway, will remember 1 September 2022 for a long time to come. Helmut was one of the lucky ones who was able to take part in the maiden voyage of POLARIS.
