Inquiries and responses. - Continuing the impatience for the arrival of S21.
For over a decade, the city of Stuttgart has been dealing with a massive construction project right in its heart: the Stuttgart 21. This involves the creation of a new underground station at the main station, which would eventually replace the existing terminal station by the end of 2025. However, recent announcements suggest that the terminal station will still be in use until the end of 2026. The railway is now notifying their project partners of a potential new opening date for the underground station - the end of 2026. Here's a summary of the key facts and answers about the multibillion-dollar undertaking, Stuttgart 21:
What's happening in Stuttgart exactly?
The Stuttgart 21 project encompasses more than just the construction of a new underground station at the city's main station. It includes the overhaul of the entire Stuttgart railway junction with new stations, hundreds of kilometers of railway tracks, tunnels, crossings, bridges as well as the Wendlingen-Ulm high-speed railway line. The central feature of Stuttgart 21 is the below-ground main station, which is designed as a through-station, unlike the existing terminal station.
The origin of the name?
The name Stuttgart 21 doesn't stand for a specific completion year. According to a railway spokesperson, "21" in Stuttgart 21 signifies the 21st century. It stems from a series of projects rolled out in the '90s that aimed to modernize railway nodes across Germany for the 21st century. They were dubbed '21' followed by the respective city's name.
When will the station be completed?
This is a question that many commuters have been asking. The railway committed to the original commission date in December 2025. However, its feasibility has been brought into question considering the announcement in March that the existing Stuttgart main station has to remain in operation for at least another year. The 2026 timetable is presently being devised using the old infrastructure with the existing terminal station, which was slated to no longer be used from the end of 2025.
How did the name '21' come about?
Contrary to what some people believe, the '21' has never represented a completion year. Instead, it signifies the 21st century. A spokesperson from the railway explained that the name '21' was used for a range of projects initiated in the '90s to revamp railway nodes throughout Germany in preparation for the 21st century. Examples of these projects include 'Neu-Ulm 21,' 'Saarbrücken 21,' and 'Lindau 21.'
When was the project supposed to be initiated?
According to the signing of the financing agreement in 2009, the plans called for the project to be completed by 2019. Since then, there have been persistent delays in its commissioning.
What caused these issues and delays?
The railway cites several factors as reasons for the repeated setbacks: legal challenges to the project, altered regulations, geologically challenging subsoil especially in Stuttgart, and complex approval procedures due to updated animal protection legislation. Critics argue that the railway should have been more transparent about the potential problems and costs.
How much does the project cost?
The precise cost is still undisclosed. At present, the railway estimates the expenditure for Stuttgart 21 at around eleven billion euros, with an extra buffer of 500 million euros. Past experiences have shown considerable increases in costs. In a financing agreement from 2009, the distribution of costs up to a total of about 4.5 billion euros was regulated. The state of Baden-Württemberg committed to a contribution of 931 million euros, the city of Stuttgart provided 292 million, the airport contributed 227 million, and the Region Stuttgart secured 100 million euros.
Who's footing the bill for the additional expenses?
Based on a court ruling, the railway is expected to bear the added costs of at least six billion euros on their own. In May, the Administrative Court of Stuttgart threw out a series of lawsuits filed by several railway companies seeking financial support from the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Stuttgart, the Region Stuttgart, and the airport. A DB spokesperson said after the ruling, "We will carefully study the written justification and then decide on the next step."
How does Stuttgart 21 benefit the passengers?
The Stuttgart main station is a significant hub for regional, national, and international transport. Stuttgart 21 aims to improve connectivity, increase capacity, reduce commute times, and upgrade the station's infrastructure. However, critics question if it will truly benefit the passengers when the project is plagued with massive delays and billions in added expenses.
The project aims to cut down journey times by a considerable amount. The railway states that the trip from Ulm to Stuttgart will now take only 27 minutes, compared to the previous 56, saving around half the travel time. However, most of it won't be attributed to the Stuttgart 21 project, but to the new section between Wendlingen and Ulm. Passengers at the airport will also benefit from reduced travel times due to the connection to long-distance traffic. The railway also notes that the new through station in Stuttgart can accommodate transfer-free connections in regional traffic. With eight tracks for arrivals and departures, this station can handle a higher volume of train traffic in the future compared to its previous terminal station with only five tracks.
The project's opponents argue otherwise. "The entire region and the country are suffering from a massive transportation disaster due to this absurdly small station," claims Martin Poguntke, spokesperson for the Action Alliance against Stuttgart 21. The critics accuse the railway of making unrealistic assumptions when estimating the new station's efficiency. For instance, they assume very short stop times in the stress test, which was supposed to prove the station's performance. Poguntke mentions, "At three in the afternoon, a train empties quickly. But during peak hours, these stop times can't be achieved."
