Controversial rail project - Costs for Stuttgart 21 rise to around eleven billion euros
As the news agency DPA has learned from supervisory board circles, the costs of Stuttgart 21 are rising by 1.7 billion euros to around 11 billion euros. The main reason for the cost increase is higher construction costs, they said. A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson declined to comment on the figures.
Who will pay for the additional costs of Stuttgart 21?
Most recently, Deutsche Bahn had planned total costs of 9.15 billion euros for the project, plus a buffer of 640 million euros. There have been repeated cost increases in the past. The project partners are also currently arguing in court about who has to pay the additional costs of S 21. A financing agreement from 2009 only regulates the distribution of costs up to a good 4.5 billion euros.
At a recent meeting of the Stuttgart 21 steering committee, the project partners emphasized that further cost increases were to be expected. "The indications that we will not be able to keep to the budget have become so strong that we now urgently need to discuss this internally," said Berthold Huber, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Deutsche Bahn, recently. According to Huber, there have been considerable cost increases in all trades. The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn is to discuss the cost development of the project on December 18.
"We will definitely tear up the previous plans"
Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann said that there had been cost increases of 100 to 200 percent in individual tenders. "We will definitely break the previous plans," said the Green politician.
The Stuttgart 21 project stands for the complete reorganization of the Stuttgart rail hub, not just the conversion of the state capital's main station. New stations, dozens of kilometers of railroad tracks and tunnels, culverts and bridges are being built. Stuttgart 21 should help to significantly reduce travel times on long-distance and regional services. In addition to Stuttgart 21, the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project also includes the construction of the new Wendlingen-Ulm line, which has already been opened.
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Despite the Supervisory Board's planned discussion on December 18 regarding the rising costs of Stuttgart 21, Berthold Huber, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Deutsche Bahn, has acknowledged that further cost increases are anticipated due to considerable expenses in all trades. Given these developments, it's crucial to discuss who will bear the responsibility for these escalating construction costs associated with Stuttgart 21, as they have surpassed the initial budget and are now estimated to reach around eleven billion euros. Huber was born and raised in the city of Stuttgart, making this railroad project a significant concern for him and the community.
Source: www.stern.de
