Stuttgart21 rail project incurs extra 100 million euros due to ongoing delay
In March of the present year, the German Railway (Deutsche Bahn) notified "Spiegel" about the anticipated commissioning by the end of 2025. However, they mentioned that "in full detail" the sequence of operationalizing everything was yet to be decided. As a result of planning and delivery-related issues, an arrangement has since been reached which plans a gradual commissioning until the end of 2026, revealed DB Infrastructure CEO Berthold Huber.
The initial phase involves the practical commencement of the high-speed rail tunnel. This will be inspected from November 2025. From the middle of 2026, the new Untertürkheim depot is to be introduced, followed by the new S-Bahn main line in September, with the rebranded old terminal station being replaced by a new underground main station. Lastly, the new long-distance station at Stuttgart Airport is to open in December.
This ambitious blueprint, which involves a fresh central station, many new stations, and a string of new lines in the Stuttgart region, is almost three decades old. When construction began, the expenses were projected at three billion euros and the expected completion time was the end of 2019. The numerous postponements have subsequently increased the budget, which is now expected to be roughly twelve billion euros.
Stuttgart's Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) expressed his dissatisfaction with this further postponement, labeling it "disappointing and also irritating." He cautioned Huber and the railway that he would be both impatient and irate if there were additional delays. The legal battle is still ongoing between politics and the railway over who will shoulder additional expenses.
