A report undertaken for the Baden-Württemberg state government by Obermeyer Planen + Beraten has found the construction of an additional €785m underground regional and S-Bahn terminus station alongside the rebuilt underground Stuttgart main station is technically feasible and compatible with the urban development of the railway site, which will be freed up by the new station.
The controversial new sub-surface Stuttgart main station, which is under construction, is forecast to open in December 2025.
The report was welcomed by Baden-Württemberg transport minister, Mr Winfried Hermann, who said that he thought the proposed additional station was an “an essential requirement for the (future) expansion of the S-Bahn and regional train services,” while also providing alternatives in the event of disruption to the new through underground station.
However, the plans have been criticised by Stuttgart regional transport authority Verband Region Stuttgart (VRS) and Stuttgart city council. VRS has described the plan for the additional six-track terminus station as unnecessary. Itsuggested the proposal would disrupt plans for re-development of the former railway land on the surface, whilst VRS would be forced to contribute financially, diverting funds from other investment priorities.
The Stuttgart 21 project, which includes the construction of the new underground station and an extensive network of new largely underground lines has been highly controversial for over a decade. It has led to major public protests and political change in the state of Baden Württemberg with the Green Party, which opposed the project, being part of the ruling coalition since 2011, and increasing their votes in all subsequent statewide elections. The plans for the new underground Stuttgart main station were started as an urban re-development project by German Rail (DB) and Stuttgart city council as a means of releasing large areas of the city centre for re-development.
