Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - In the controversial billion-euro project Stuttgart 21, all tunnels have now been dug in the valley basin - a total of around 51 kilometers. Deutsche Bahn infrastructure board member Berthold Huber said on Wednesday that the completion of this work shows once again that Stuttgart 21 is progressing. In the course of the construction work, seven tunnels were created in the Baden-Württemberg state capital. Some of them consist of two tubes. The construction work lasted nine years and took place under difficult conditions due to the mineral water supply.
Tunneling work is still going on at Stuttgart Airport. There were still a few hundred meters missing from a total of 4.4 kilometers, said Deutsche Bahn. The Stuttgart 21 project and the new Wendlingen-Ulm line would make the rail infrastructure fit for the 21st century, said the Federal Government Commissioner for Rail Transport, Michael Theurer (FDP). The overall Stuttgart 21 project was supported by the European Union with over one billion euros.
Project partners in "Stuttgart 21" are Deutsche Bahn, the city of Stuttgart, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Stuttgart region and the airport. Just a few months ago, the renewed sharp rise in costs for the major construction project made the headlines. According to current assumptions, the investments for the construction of the Stuttgart underground station and other projects on several routes add up to a total of around 9.15 billion euros, plus a precautionary buffer. In view of the exploding costs in construction and stagnant supply chains, critics expect further cost increases.
The Ministerial Director in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport, Berthold Fries, said: "We are pleased with the progress made in the realization of S21 and the upcoming commissioning of the new Wendlingen-Ulm line in December." According to earlier statements, the new underground station, which is to replace the above-ground terminal station in Stuttgart, will start in December 2025.
