German Railways - Stuttgart 21 dispute: Kretschmann wants Chancellor to put his foot down
In the dispute over the expansion of digitalization in the Bahnproject Stuttgart 21, Baden-Württemberg's Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) has called for a statement from Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). The implementation of the project "Digital Node Stuttgart" is currently at risk of failing, warned Kretschmann in a letter to the Chancellor. Without this project, the capacity and performance enhancements in the entire region would not be possible. Previously, both "Spiegel" and "SWR" had reported on this.
Background of the long-standing controversy between the Federal Government, German Rail (DB), and the State is a debate about the necessary digitalization of the railway in Stuttgart. With the so-called Digital Node Stuttgart (DKS), capacity at the tunnel station is to be increased, and in a further step, the S-Bahn in the Stuttgart area may be made more reliable and punctual. The implementation of this project is uncertain. The railway board had initially stopped the digital project with a committee vote. Here, Kretschmann's criticism is expressed in the letter to "dear Olaf."
"In this context, it is alarming to me that the DB refers to the fact that the commissioning of Stuttgart 21 is also possible with the currently ongoing first two construction phases," writes Kretschmann in the letter obtained by dpa. "But only construction phase 3 closes the realization of capacity-enhancing elements." Without it, the node cannot fulfill its promise. In addition, central insights for the implementation of further node projects in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Munich were missing.
Is the Bahn trying to reallocate funds?
In the letter, the Green politician accuses the heavily indebted railway of pursuing its own plans with the reserved federal budget funds: "In our opinion, the DB is attempting to divert the funds reserved for this purpose to the maintenance of the existing network." And further: "With all due respect for the importance of the existing network, this should not come at the expense of the future investment in the 'Digital Rail'."
Kretschmann also warns of damage to the reputation of the railway industry. "A rejection would also have an industrially political disastrous effect for the entire railway sector," he writes. Germany would risk a comprehensive loss of innovation and competence in a field central to the future of rail infrastructure.
According to reports from supervisory board circles, the committee vote and the Stuttgart node were also on the agenda (today) Thursday in the supervisory board of the federal-owned concern.
What is the "Digital Node"?
The Digital Node in the Stuttgart Metropolitan Region would be the first digitally networked railway node in Germany for all train categories. All S21 lines and large parts of the S-Bahn network in the Stuttgart region are to be equipped with the digital railway control system ETCS (European Train Control System), digital signaling boxes, and automated train operation.
Behind the abbreviation ETCS lies a system that controls and influences train journeys on the railway network. It monitors, for example, whether a train is allowed to traverse a track section and keeps an eye on speed. With the Stuttgart System ETCS Level 2, the conventional signaling along the track can be dispensed with. The track signals therefore no longer exist physically. Train drivers are given the information in advance directly in the cab. The goal is to increase capacity on the rails, for example, because trains can travel in closer distances.
Not the first letter
The letter from the government chief to the chancellery is not the first Stuttgart fire letter in the dispute over billion-dollar additional costs, years of delay, and the financing of the Stuttgart 21 railway project. A month ago, Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) accused the railway of hindering the financing of the digitalization of the new railway node. In a letter, the Green politician warned of the "risk of complete failure" of the third component of the Digital Node Stuttgart.
What Stuttgart 21 means
The Stuttgart 21 project does not only stand for the construction of the new main station in the state capital, but for the complete reorganization of the Stuttgart railway node. New train stations are being built, such as a new long-distance station at the airport, dozens of kilometers of railway tracks and tunnel tubes, passages, and bridges. The Stuttgart-Ulm railway project includes, in addition to Stuttgart 21, the new construction of the already opened high-speed railway line Wendlingen-Ulm. The heart of Stuttgart 21 is the new underground main station, which, in contrast to the previous terminus station, will be a through station.
Approximately two weeks ago, the German Railways again postponed the commissioning of the project, this time to December 2026. The new subterranean main station was previously scheduled to go into operation in December 2025.
The company estimates the total costs for the project at around 11 billion Euros and has calculated an additional buffer of 500 million Euros. In a financing agreement from 2009, however, only the cost allocation up to a height of about 4.5 billion Euros is regulated. In recent years, there have been cost increases. The railway last cited increased construction prices as the reason.
- Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann from Baden-Württemberg, a Green Party member, has called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to address the situation regarding the Stuttgart 21 Bahnproject's digitalization expansion.
- Without the successful completion of the "Digital Node Stuttgart" project, capacity improvements and enhancements in the entire region would not be achievable, Kretschmann asserted in a letter to the Chancellor.
- Previously, both "Spiegel" and "SWR" had reported on the potential failure of this project.
- The ongoing controversy between the Federal Government, DB, and the state revolves around the necessary digitalization of the railway in Stuttgart.
- The so-called Digital Node Stuttgart (DKS) is intended to increase capacity at the tunnel station and potentially make the S-Bahn in the Stuttgart area more reliable and punctual.
- The Executive Board initially halted the digital project with a committee vote, and Kretschmann's criticism was voiced in the letter to "dear Olaf."
- In the letter obtained by dpa, Kretschmann accused the heavily indebted railway of attempting to reallocate funds reserved for this project to the maintenance of the existing network.
- Without the investment in the "Digital Rail," the future of the railway sector could suffer an industrial and politically damaging effect, he warned.
- The supervisory board of the federal-owned concern discussed the committee vote and the Stuttgart node on their agenda (today) Thursday.
- The Digital Node in the Stuttgart Metropolitan Region, the first digitally networked railway node in Germany for all train categories, includes the integration of the ETCS (European Train Control System) and automated train operation.
