Saanen backs CHF 120 million mountain railway project as Horneggli–Hornberg costs rise
13/October/2026
Voters in the Bernese Oberland municipality have approved an additional CHF 12 million for the renewal of the Horneggli–Hornberg area, despite warnings that the investment will place significant pressure on local finances.
Saanen has approved a further CHF 12 million for the major Horneggli–Hornberg mountain infrastructure project, bringing the municipality’s planned contribution to the scheme to approximately CHF 48 million.
The decision was taken at the municipal assembly on 18 September 2026, where voters also agreed to extend Saanen’s operating agreement with Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG (BDG) until 2032. Under the agreement, the municipality will continue paying the mountain railway company CHF 3.8 million annually. The agreement was approved for six years after an amendment proposing a shorter four-year term failed to secure a majority.
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The additional investment credit was approved by 199 votes to 41, according to the municipality’s official account. The CHF 12 million represents 40 per cent of the planned investment volume for the new and replacement facilities in the Horneggli–Hornberg area.
Project costs rise by one-third
The decision comes as the project’s estimated cost has increased substantially. When Saanen approved CHF 40 million for the scheme in 2022, total expenditure was forecast at approximately CHF 90 million. The estimate has since risen to around CHF 120 million—an increase of roughly one-third.
The rise has been linked to higher steel prices and delays affecting cable-car manufacturers. The additional municipal contribution is expected to be spread across the 2027–2032 period. During the assembly debate, municipal councillor Nathanael Perreten warned that the commitment would represent a considerable burden for Saanen’s liquidity.
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The CHF 12 million investment contribution is separate from the annual CHF 3.8 million operating payment to BDG. That recurring contribution is intended to support the company’s ongoing operations rather than the construction programme.
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A new backbone for the ski area
At the centre of the project is a new 10-passenger gondola linking Schönried, Horneggli and Hornberg. It will replace the existing detachable three-seat chairlift between Schönried and Horneggli, which was built in 1984 and is increasingly considered inadequate in terms of capacity and comfort.
Unlike the existing lift, the new system will continue beyond Horneggli to the Hornberg–Läger area. This will provide Hornberg with its first direct connection from Schönried and create a new access route to what BDG describes as the more snow-reliable core of the ski area. Planned capacity is approximately 2,200 passengers per hour.
The project is designed to improve access in both winter and summer. The planned stations will serve not only skiers but also hikers, mountain bikers and visitors using the area’s restaurants and trails. The new valley station at Schönried is expected to include arrival and service facilities, parking, ski-school space, storage and visitor areas.
A second major element is a new or expanded Hornberg reservoir, planned to hold approximately 178,000 cubic metres of water. The reservoir is intended to strengthen snowmaking reliability, an increasingly important consideration for lower and mid-altitude ski areas facing warmer winters and more variable snowfall.
The wider scheme also includes a new Saanenwald–Hornfluh chairlift, mountain-bike trails and a parking facility with space for 500 vehicles. Together, these elements are intended to renew the area’s lift network while supporting a broader, year-round tourism offer.
Planning moves towards the approval stage
The project has been in development for several years and has faced a complex planning process. In April 2025, the Saanen municipal assembly approved Development Plan No. 88 for the Saanenmöser–Schönried tourism area by 430 votes to 33. The plan established the spatial-planning basis for new cableways, mountain-bike trails and related adjustments to zoning and building regulations.
In August 2026, BDG submitted the first part of its planning-approval dossier. The submission reportedly contained 330 documents, 163 plans and more than 1.6 gigabytes of digital data. Almost all affected landowners had approved the project, with one exception at that stage.
A further breakthrough came in September, when all objections to the amendment of Development Plan No. 88 were resolved and withdrawn. The cantonal Office for Municipalities and Spatial Planning can now approve the planning framework, after which the Federal Office of Transport can publicly consult the planning-approval procedures for the proposed railway and parking projects.
BDG has maintained the aim of beginning construction in spring 2027. The timetable, however, remains dependent on the remaining cantonal and federal approvals, as well as the reservoir documentation and related technical reviews. Additional seismic verification and new cantonal requirements for reservoir structures have already added to the planning workload.
Investment versus financial exposure
For Saanen, the vote represents a strategic bet on the long-term importance of mountain transport to the local economy. The municipality’s contribution will help finance infrastructure that supports skiing, summer tourism, local employment and the wider Gstaad destination.
The case for investment is strengthened by the broader performance of Swiss mountain tourism. From May to the end of August 2026, Swiss cableways recorded a 7 per cent increase in first-time visitors compared with the previous year, while the Berner Oberland performed particularly strongly. Visitor numbers were also 27 per cent above the five-year average.
But the project also illustrates the financial risks facing mountain destinations. Construction costs have risen sharply, while cableways require substantial long-term spending on maintenance, safety systems, energy, staffing and snowmaking. The municipality is therefore committing both a large capital contribution and a recurring annual subsidy.
The local debate over a four-year rather than six-year operating agreement reflected those concerns. Although the shorter-term proposal was rejected, the discussion underlined the importance of maintaining political oversight as the project progresses.
A test for Gstaad’s next generation
The Horneggli–Hornberg scheme is more than a replacement of an ageing chairlift. It is the central infrastructure project in BDG’s plans to reorganise access to the eastern part of the Gstaad ski area and make Hornberg accessible directly from Schönried.
The project also reflects a wider shift in Alpine tourism. Resorts can no longer rely exclusively on traditional winter skiing. New lifts are increasingly expected to serve several markets: skiers in winter, hikers and mountain bikers in summer, families, event visitors and guests seeking scenic mountain experiences throughout the year.
For Saanen, the challenge will be to ensure that the investment generates sufficient regional value to justify the public commitment. For BDG, the task will be to deliver a complex project whose cost has already risen from CHF 90 million to CHF 120 million.
With the additional CHF 12 million now approved, the political mandate is clear. Saanen has chosen to support the project and preserve the role of mountain transport in the local economy. The next decisive stage will take place not in the municipal assembly, but in the planning and construction process—where cost control, environmental scrutiny and timely approvals will determine whether the Horneggli–Hornberg project becomes the foundation of Gstaad’s next generation or another example of the escalating price of Alpine infrastructure.
