Vehicle Congestion: - German Railways delays the launch of Stuttgart 21 to the close of 2026.
For over a decade, residents of Stuttgart have had to put up with a massive construction site at the center of their city. This is where the railway is constructing a new underground station, commonly referred to as Stuttgart 21. The intention was to complete it by the end of 2025.
However, Deutsche Bahn has decided to push back the opening of the project Stuttgart 21 to December 2026. The announcement came after a meeting with project collaborators in Stuttgart.
Here are some key questions and answers about the hundred-million-dollar project Stuttgart 21:
What exactly is being built in Stuttgart?
Stuttgart 21 isn't only about constructing a fresh main station in the state capital, but it's also about restructuring the entire railway junction. The project involves erecting several new stations, including a long-distance station at the airport, as well as numerous kilometers of train tracks, tunnels, crossings, and bridges. The railway project Stuttgart-Ulm includes the construction of a new high-speed line Wendlingen-Ulm, which opened in 2022. Key to Stuttgart 21 is the new underground main station, which will function as a through station in comparison to the existing terminal station.
Where does the name actually come from?
This is a common misconception: The 21 in Stuttgart 21 has never represented a completion year, clarified a spokesperson for the railway. Instead, the 21 in the project name signifies the 21st century. Under the name "Bahnhof 21", several projects were initiated in the '90s to modernize railway junctions across Germany, explained the spokesperson. As a result, projects such as "Neu-Ulm 21", "Saarbrücken 21", and "Lindau 21" were executed.
When will the station be finished?
This is a significant question for many commuters. The railway has consistently maintained that it wants to uphold the December 2025 commissioning date. It remains unknown whether that is feasible. In March, the railway admitted that the existing Stuttgart main station would be in operation in 2026. The timetable for 2026 is being worked out with the older infrastructure, featuring the existing terminal station, which was meant to cease operation by the end of 2025.
As stated by "Spiegel", the railway will update its partners on the postponement of the commissioning of the new Stuttgart main station to December 2026. The controversial German railway project is therefore being delayed by yet another year, as reported by the news magazine on Monday, quoting sources within the railway company.
When was the project intended to start?
According to the signing of the financing agreement in 2009, the plans projected a dedication in 2019. Since then, there have been repeated delays in the commissioning.
What are the root causes of these delays?
The railway cites several reasons for the repeated postponement: Legal disputes against the project and changing regulations, for example, concerning fire protection. Other factors creating delays include the "geologically challenging subsoil in the Stuttgart area" and complex approval procedures due to alterations in species protection laws. Critics of the project claim that the railway knew about these issues and risks from the beginning and intentionally concealed costs and construction times.
The railway projects the costs for Stuttgart 21 at around eleven billion euros and plans an additional 500 million euro buffer. Cost increases have occurred in the past. In a 2009 financing agreement, the distribution of expenses up to approximately 4.5 billion euros was regulated. At the time, the state of Baden-Württemberg committed 931 million euros, the city of Stuttgart provided 292 million, the airport offered 227 million, and the Region Stuttgart secured 100 million euros.
Who will cover the previous additional expenses of at least six and a half billion euros?
As per a court ruling, the railway company must bear these extra costs alone. The Stuttgart Administrative Court dismissed lawsuits by several railway company divisions against the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Stuttgart, the Region Stuttgart, and the airport early May. The DB had filed the lawsuits to force the project partners to participate in the additional expenses financially. A railway company spokesperson said after the ruling: "We will closely review the written explanation and then decide whether we will file an appeal."
What benefits will Stuttgart 21 bring to passengers?
The project cuts travel times on several routes. Based on the railway company's information, travelers from Ulm to Stuttgart will now need 27 minutes instead of the previous 56 - almost half of the time saved stems from the new stretch between Wendlingen and Ulm, not Stuttgart 21 itself. Thanks to the connection of the airport to long-distance traffic, passengers' travel times are also reduced. The railway company additionally highlights that the new through station in Stuttgart allows for more transfer-free connections in regional traffic. The new station boasts eight arrival and departure tracks, while the previous terminal station only offered five. Consequently, the station is now capable of handling a lot more train traffic than before.
Opponents of the project disagree with this assessment. "This tiny station will lead to major traffic issues throughout the area and the entire nation," claims Martin Poguntke, a spokesperson for the Action Alliance against Stuttgart 21. Critics argue that the railway company made unrealistic assumptions when calculating the station's performance. They point to the fact that extremely short stop times were assumed in the stress test, which was intended to demonstrate the new station's capabilities. "At 3 pm in the afternoon, a train is quickly emptied. However, these stop times cannot be achieved in real-world traffic scenarios," Poguntke explained.
Read also:
- Despite the delay, German Railways (DB) is still aiming to finish the construction of the new underground station in Stuttgart 21 by the end of 2025, although this seems unlikely.
- The railway project Stuttgart-Ulm, which includes the construction of a new high-speed line Wendlingen-Ulm, was completed in 2022, making it one of the key components of Stuttgart 21.
- The construction site at the center of Stuttgart has been a source of frustration for residents for over a decade, as the railway constructs new stations and infrastructure as part of the Stuttgart 21 project.
- The delay in the opening of Stuttgart 21 has caused resentment among commuters who have been dealing with the chaos of construction for years, and who were hoping for improved travel times and more transfer-free connections.
- The railway projects that the costs for Stuttgart 21 will total around eleven billion euros, with an additional 500 million euro buffer to account for cost increases.
- Critics of the Stuttgart 21 project claim that the railway knew about the complexity of the construction site and the potential for delays from the beginning, but intentionally concealed costs and construction times to win public support.
- Saarbrücken 21, Lindau 21, and Neu-Ulm 21 are examples of other railway projects initiated in the 90s as part of the "Bahnhof 21" program to modernize railway junctions across Germany.
- The new main station in Stuttgart will function as a through station, allowing for more transfer-free connections in regional traffic, and feature eight arrival and departure tracks, compared to the previous terminal station's five.
- The railway's decision to push back the opening of Stuttgart 21 to December 2026 has caused controversy, with opponents arguing that the increased train traffic will cause major traffic issues throughout the area and the entire nation.
- As a result of a court ruling, German Railways will be required to bear the additional expenses of at least six and a half billion euros for the Stuttgart 21 project alone, after several railway company divisions filed lawsuits against project partners to force them to share the costs.
