there is absolutly no competition between the state owned SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen) and several 'other' (but in it's majority still also owned by the state or cantons) Railway companies.

The GoldenPass panoramic trains from Montreux to Interlaken are run by the BLS-company (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon, the majority of shares are owned by the canton of Bern through the partially privatised Berner Kantonalbank)

The following GoldenPass panoramic train from Interlaken to Lucerne (over the Brünig Pass) are run by the Brünigbahn company (owned 100% by SBB = Schweizerische Bundesbahnen = Swiss federal railways; the Bünigbahn has just announced this weekend that they will merger with the Luzern-Engelberg Bahn into the new Innerschweiz Railways).

But all this different companies are of no concerns for us as costumers when buying tickets or ticket-passes.

The Golden-Pass panoramic trains offer regular first and second class tickets for the same price as any other train (and other trains run on the same segments more than every hour) but only run about every two hours. In high season it may be recommendable to reserve your seats (costs SFr 10 per rail segment) but myself I never did any reservation in 2nd class last week and had no problems when I took it on 9 return trips to Gstaad for the Swiss Tennis Open (and this was 'rush-hour' on these trains because of the Tennis event).

There are about 9 special front-seats (called VIP seats with a view through the front window, the driver sitting above you) on the Montreux-Zweisimmen Golden Pass segment only. For that you need a first-class ticket and the reserved VIP seats cost SFr 20 instead of SFr 10. These VIP seats sell out very fast - and can't be reserved online (but any train station in Switzerland can handle such a reservation).

If you travel more than on just one day in Switzerland, overseas visitors can buy at all airport train stations or at major downtown train stations, showing their passport, a 1/2-price pass valid on trains, buses, trams, ships, cable-cars etc. etc. in Switzerland 30 days for all public transportions in Switzerland at half price (1/2 price applies on second and first-class tickets, not on reservation fees) - this half price pass costs SFr 99.

If you plan to visit Switzerland more than once, there are half-price passes available to everyone (no only visitors from overseas) for the price of SFr 150 (validity 1 year), SFr 250 (validity 2 years), SFr 350 (validity 3 years). About 90% of all swiss citizens travel for half price with such a card.