The Matterhorn is probably the most famous landmark in Switzerland and has been photographed millions of times. The iconic mountain attracts tourists from all over the world, as well as from Switzerland. The striking rock pyramid seems almost close enough to touch from the Gornergrat, itself located at more than 3,000 meters above sea level and less than 10 km from the Matterhorn, or "Horu", as the locals call it. Here, the view sweeps over 28 other 4,000-meter peaks. There is no greater high alpine panorama anywhere.
The first locomotive was powered by BBC
This unique selling point was recognized early on by resourceful investors and entrepreneurs from Valais, Switzerland. They founded the Gornergrat Railway Company in 1892. The railway was opened in August 1898. It was the first electrically operated rack railway in Switzerland. The electrical equipment for the first locomotives was provided by BBC, the predecessor company of ABB, which had been founded just seven years earlier.
Five new multiple units ordered from Stadler
"In its first year of operation, the Gornergrat Railway carried around 40,000 passengers," explains Andreas Schmid, Project Manager for Engineering Rolling Stock & Traction at the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway and the Gornergrat Railway. Unlike today, the cog railway did not run in winter. "Today, we can welcome around 850,000 passengers every year." Word continues to spread about the attractiveness of the service here in the heart of the high Alps, especially in the age of social media. "At the end of 2019, we ordered five new Polaris multiple units from Stadler. At an amount of 45 million francs, this is a significant investment in the future." Polaris stands for Popular landscape railway in Switzerland.
Around a third of the fleet renewed
Despite the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, the project was implemented on schedule. The maiden voyage of the first Polaris train took place in September 2022. The entire Polaris fleet began operations the following winter. "They replace the older trains, which were last modernized in the early 2000s, around a third of our fleet," explains Schmid.
Design by Pininfarina
The new multiple units have 104 seats each - with exclusively designed seats, as the contract for the interior and exterior design of the trains went to the renowned Italian design studio Pininfarina. It gave the trains a futuristic-looking asymmetrical front and a consistent, striking color concept. Another highlight are the large panoramic windows, the upper part of which can also be lowered for reflective-free photography.
ABB traction converters in existing and new multiple units
"When we surveyed the market before ordering, we defined a specification, including the performance and reliability of the drive," says Schmid. "Our previously most modern multiple units from 2006 are equipped with ABB's CC500 traction converters, which perform reliably to our complete satisfaction. We were therefore pleased to note that Stadler is equipping the Polaris with the successor model CC750 from ABB, which is more powerful and efficient."
New converters are more powerful and efficient
The drive package in the Polaris has a total output of 1320 kilowatts, significantly more than the multiple units that went into operation in 2006. Two CC750s are installed under the floor of each multiple unit. The Polaris travels uphill at up to 30 km/h, and downhill at 20 km/h. Of course, the new trains - like their predecessors on the Gornergrat Railway - can recuperate, i.e. feed the energy generated by the drive train when braking back into the overhead line network. Three trains traveling downhill thus generate more electricity than one train traveling uphill consumes.
Even in winter at 3000 m above sea level, the newer of the two snow blowers on the Gornergrat Railway is also equipped with ABB traction converters. This can remove around 3000 tons of snow from the tracks per hour. This is why the railway runs reliably on Europe's highest outdoor route even in the depths of the high alpine winter. "This means we can remove even the largest amounts of snow from the route during heavy rainfall. The only thing that can affect our timetable is strong winds with drifting snow," says Schmid.
Operated with three-phase current
The Gornergrat Railway's overhead line network is powered by a three-phase current, which can be seen from the outside by the two overhead line wires. The third pole is formed by the rails, which are not live themselves and serve as a return conductor. The Gornergrat Railway has thus retained the power system from the pioneering days. As has the Jungfrau Railway, the only other Swiss railway that operates with a three-phase current.
In double traction with predecessor trains
"The Polaris drive with the ABB traction converters has proven itself in everyday operation," says Schmid. "As usual, some parameters had to be readjusted during commissioning. But now they transport our passengers smoothly to the Gornergrat and back." Even if one of the two converters on a train were to fail, the power of the other is enough to transport the train to the next stop. In high season, the trains run every 24 minutes. The new Polaris can be coupled with the trains of the two predecessor series and thus run in double traction.
"The Polaris drive with the ABB traction converters has proven itself in everyday operation."
Service contract with ABB
As of 2025, Gornergrat Bahn AG – a subsidiary of BVZ Holding – has signed a service contract with the Traction Division of ABB Switzerland for the traction converters of the Polaris fleet to maintain high availability over the coming years.
