Delays at Stuttgart 21: Opening to autumn 2026 postponed

Delays at Stuttgart 21: Opening to autumn 2026 postponed

The complete opening of the new Stuttgart main station could shift according to information from the end of 2025 to autumn 2026. If the new underground station is provisional, only two to three trains per hour could be handled according to preliminary planning of the railways. A provisional electronic signal box would probably have to be put into operation.

The project company Stuttgart 21 continues to plan commissioning for December 2025. However, the next network schedule for 2026 is still being created based on the old infrastructure with the existing head station. The exact number of trains that could enter the new train station every hour at a possible opening of 2025 will only be determined in June. The goal is to put all essential elements of Stuttgart 21 into operation by the end of 2026 at the latest.

The pressure from the state policy of Baden-Württemberg and the green-black state government increases. CDU, SPD, FDP and Greens wish a successful and smooth commissioning of the train station. Criticism becomes loud, since the railway has so far emphasized that Stuttgart 21 would start to change timetable 2025. A shift is discussed if the full promised scope of services cannot be offered when commissioning.

The problems with the delays lie, among other things, due to non -certified electronic components for the digitization of the railway node. The certification of "object controllers" has failed, which caused the delays. Financing the third stage of digitization of the railway node is another problem because the funds are currently not released. The design of rail digitization also depends on the available funds in the Federal Budget 2025 and the following years.