Stuttgart 21 will only be operational gradually – full opening not until 2027

Stuttgart. The Stuttgart 21 rail project is scheduled to begin operations later than planned, with some long-distance and some regional services moving to the new underground station starting in December 2026, as announced. However, some regional services will continue to terminate at the old above-ground terminal station until July 2027, according to Deutsche Bahn (DB) in Stuttgart.

The company cites the gradual commissioning as a way to ease the disruptions required for the work connecting the new infrastructure to the existing lines. This will keep disruption to passengers as minimal as possible, said DB Infrastructure Board Member Berthold Huber. Previously, the plan was to fully open the underground station in December 2026 and discontinue operations at the old terminal station.

Starting in December 2026, most long-distance trains will terminate at Stuttgart's new underground station. However, according to Deutsche Bahn, some regional services will still have to continue to run to the old terminal station until July 2027. (Archive image)

Source: Bernd Weißbrod/dpa

In May, Deutsche Bahn informed the Stuttgart 21 project partners that numerous closures would be necessary during commissioning work, which would have led to massive disruption for passengers. A task force was subsequently set up to advise on how to make the launch as passenger-friendly as possible.

Deutsche Bahn informed its project partners about the results of this working group at a steering committee meeting on Friday. In addition to Deutsche Bahn, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the state capital of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Region Association, and Stuttgart Airport are involved in the project.

According to the plan, work in the Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt area in particular is to be staggered. A months-long shutdown at the Stuttgart hub was threatened during the last year of construction, said Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Green Party). With the staggered S21 launch, the difficulties facing rail operations in and around Stuttgart can be transformed into predictable restrictions. "The suffering for passengers will last longer, but it will be more bearable—and above all, more predictable," said Hermann.

Winfried Hermann (Alliance 90/The Greens), Minister of Transport of Baden-Württemberg and Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, talk at the railway summit between the state government and the DB Board in Villa Reitzenstein.

Source: Bernd Weißbrod/dpa

Commissioning had already been postponed several times, most recently to December 2026. When the financing agreement was concluded in 2009, it was assumed that the line would open in 2019. According to Deutsche Bahn, the reasons for the repeated postponements vary: lawsuits against the project and changes to regulations, such as fire safety. Other factors for the delays include the "geologically challenging subsoil in the Stuttgart urban area" and complex approval procedures due to changes in species protection laws.

The Stuttgart 21 project not only involves the construction of the new main station in the state capital, but also the complete reorganization of the Stuttgart rail hub. New stations – such as a new long-distance station at the airport – as well as dozens of kilometers of railway lines and tunnels, culverts, and bridges are being built. In addition to Stuttgart 21, the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project also includes the construction of the Wendlingen-Ulm high-speed line, which will open in 2022. The centerpiece of Stuttgart 21 is the new underground main station, which, unlike the current terminal station, will be a through station.

As part of the Stuttgart 21 project, the Stuttgart rail hub will also be the first in Germany to be completely digitized. Long-distance and regional trains, as well as commuter trains, will then run using the ETCS digital train control system—and only with it. Conventional traffic lights will no longer be installed at the Stuttgart rail hub. Deutsche Bahn cited the extensive digitization work as the reason for the final postponement of commissioning to December 2026.

The costs for the project have also risen steeply over the years. A financing agreement from 2009 only regulates the distribution of costs up to a good 4.5 billion euros. Until recently, Deutsche Bahn estimated the current costs at around 11 billion euros, with a buffer of 500 million euros planned. This has now almost been used up: At the last meeting of the steering committee, Deutsche Bahn informed the project partners that the costs have now totaled around 11.3 billion euros. Who will bear the additional costs is disputed.

RND/dpa