The controversial Stuttgart 21 rail mission was initially scheduled to be accomplished in 2019 and price three billion euros. Each objectives failed by a large margin. The rail hub will most likely not be operational in 2025 both, and prices will proceed to rise.
Stuttgart Central Station and its environment have been a everlasting building website for over 10 years.
Picture: PantherMedia / Hans Maier
The top of the development website that’s supposed to maneuver Stuttgart Central Station underground has been postponed a number of instances. Now Stuttgart 21 won’t be in power till December 2026 on the earliest. Which means that Germany’s most controversial railway mission has been delayed by one other 12 months. The rail junction was supposed to return into impact in 2025 after a number of postponements, however nothing got here of it. “Spiegel” discovered this from a number of sources inside the railway group concerned within the mission.
No momentary commissioning of Stuttgart 21
The railway confirmed in March that commissioning was nonetheless deliberate “for December 2025”. Nonetheless, it has already been acknowledged that the precise order of commissioning has but to be determined. The group subsequently proposed a brief sign field and the gradual opening of the brand new tunnel station. With this answer, the outdated vacation spot station would proceed for use for practice site visitors.
Plans for pre-commissioning are actually pending. On account of planning and supply difficulties in addition to the excessive prices related to a brief sign field, which might price tons of of hundreds of thousands of euros, this concept was deserted. This might make the already costly main mission much more costly.
Stuttgart 21: Main building website for over ten years
For greater than a decade, individuals in Stuttgart have been dwelling on an enormous building website within the coronary heart of town. The railway is constructing a brand new underground station on the principal station, referred to as Stuttgart 21. This mission represents not solely the development of the brand new principal station, but in addition the whole reorganization of the Stuttgart railway hub.
The development work consists of new practice stations, together with a long-distance practice station on the airport, in addition to many kilometers of railway, tunnels, culverts and bridges. Along with Stuttgart 21, the Stuttgart-Ulm mission consists of the brand new building of the Wendlingen-Ulm high-speed line, opened in 2022. The center of Stuttgart 21 is the brand new principal underground station, which is designed as a translucent station and replaces the earlier terminal station .
The that means of “21” in Stuttgart 21
A railway spokesperson clarified a standard false impression: The “21” in Stuttgart 21 didn’t stand for a accomplished 12 months. Slightly, the quantity refers back to the twenty first century. Within the Nineteen Nineties, varied tasks underneath the identify “Bahnhof 21” have been began to make railway junctions all through Germany appropriate for the brand new age. These embody tasks reminiscent of “Neu-Ulm 21”, “Saarbrücken 21” and “Lindau 21”.
When the funding settlement for Stuttgart 21 was signed in 2009, an inauguration was deliberate for 2019. Since then, nevertheless, the commissioning date has been postponed a number of instances.
Causes for the delay are repeated
The railway cites numerous causes for the repeated delays on Stuttgart 21. These embody lawsuits towards the mission and altering necessities, particularly when it comes to fireplace safety. Different elements embody the geologically demanding subsoil within the Stuttgart metropolitan space and complicated approval procedures because of modified species safety legal guidelines.
Critics accuse the railway of understanding the issues and dangers from the outset and skimping on the prices and building time.
How a lot does the mission price and who can pay the extra prices?
The railway estimates the present prices for Stuttgart 21 at round eleven billion euros and likewise plans a buffer of 500 million euros. There have been vital will increase in prices in recent times. The funding settlement from 2009 regulated the distribution of prices as much as a complete of about 4.5 billion euros. At the moment, the state of Baden-Württemberg pledged a contribution of 931 million euros, town of Stuttgart gave 292 million euros, the airport contributed 227 million and the Stuttgart Area Affiliation contributed 100 million euros.
Nonetheless, the companions wouldn’t have to pay for the extra prices. A courtroom ruling says the railroad should bear billions in further prices alone. Originally of Might, the Stuttgart Administrative Court docket dismissed the lawsuits introduced by a number of railway corporations towards the state of Baden-Württemberg, town of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Area Affiliation and Stuttgart Airport. The railway needed the mission companions to contribute to the extra prices. After the decision, a railway spokesperson mentioned that the written causes can be rigorously examined after which doable authorized treatments can be determined.
Affect of Stuttgart 21 on journey instances and site visitors
The Stuttgart 21 mission will considerably scale back journey instances. In keeping with Deutsche Bahn, passengers from Ulm to Stuttgart will now solely want 27 minutes as an alternative of the earlier 56 minutes. Nonetheless, about half of this time saving will be attributed to the brand new route between Wendlingen and Ulm, to not Stuttgart itself 21 The connection of the airport to long-haul transport additionally shortens the journey for passengers. As well as, the brand new flock station in Stuttgart permits transfer-free connections in regional transport. The brand new station has eight tracks out and in, whereas the earlier vacation spot station solely had 5. This could allow it to deal with rather more practice site visitors sooner or later.