Kretschmann rails against Stuttgart 21: Is there finally clarity now?

Kretschmann rails against Stuttgart 21: Is there finally clarity now?

The discussion about the controversial Stuttgart 21 railway project remains heated. On May 30, 2025, Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and Transport Minister Winfried Hermann spoke critically about the ongoing construction work and the resulting problems for passengers at a press conference. Kretschmann, who has been fighting against the project for years, sees his concerns confirmed. “Everything we always warned about is now happening,” said the Prime Minister. Merkur.de reports.

Kretschmann criticizes the lack of communication and coordination on the part of Deutsche Bahn when dealing with construction sites and train cancellations. Transport Minister Hermann underlines the incalculable demands on travelers and urgently calls for improvements in construction site coordination. Deutsche Bahn has already presented a timetable for the commissioning of the new main station, which is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Stuttgart 21: A complex project

Stuttgart 21 represents the most complex commissioning of a new railway junction in Europe. The project involves the reconstruction of the existing rail junction with numerous new infrastructures, including four new stations, 56 kilometers of tunnels and over 100 kilometers of new tracks, enabling speeds of up to 250 km/h. From the point of view of those responsible, this should shorten travel times in the long term and shift traffic from road to rail. The through station will create new, transfer-free connections in regional transport. Exemplary time savings have already been announced: the connection from Ulm to the airport can be made in just 28 minutes.

However, the burden on passengers is increasing. Kretschmann and Hermann are sounding the alarm that the number of construction sites in Stuttgart will double in the coming year. Those responsible have called a rail summit with DB board member Richard Lutz on July 1, 2025 to talk about a better planning and coordination strategy. The new train station in the Bonatz building is scheduled to replace the old terminus station from the end of 2026.

Future developments

Deutsche Bahn plans to gradually start test operation of all systems from the end of 2025. However, the partial commissioning of the main station, which was originally scheduled for the end of 2025, was canceled. The current terminus station will remain in operation until it is finally opened. However, the new main station should be ready for operation from December 2026. In addition, new infrastructure projects such as the Pfaffenstieg Tunnel, which will connect the airport directly to the Gäubahn, will begin in 2026, with expected commissioning in 2032.

The state government remains in intensive contact with Deutsche Bahn in order to overcome the challenges of the Stuttgart 21 project and ensure smooth implementation.