Project partners anticipate further cost increases
The Stuttgart 21 project partners are assuming that the rail project will once again become more expensive. "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 of Deutsche Bahn, on Friday in Stuttgart after a meeting of the steering committee. The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn is to discuss the cost development of the project on December 18.
Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann said that there had been cost increases of 100 to 200 percent in individual tenders. "We are definitely tearing up the previous plans," said the Green politician. The project partners did not provide any concrete figures on the cost development of the rail project.
Deutsche Bahn is currently planning a total cost of 9.15 billion euros for the project, plus a buffer of 640 million euros. There have been repeated cost increases in the past.
Despite the anticipated cost increases, the Stuttgart 21 project partners continue to navigate the complexities of the rail project. The potential impact of traffic disruptions due to the project on adjacent railroad routes in Stuttgart is a significant concern.
Source: www.dpa.com
