STUTTGART’s new underground main station will finally open in December 2026, German Rail (DB) has confirmed, but only partially. The troubled €11.45bn project in southwest Germany, has been beset by delays and steep cost increases.
DB says that from the end of next year all long-distance trains, except those on the Stuttgart - Singen line or Gäubahn, will use the new through station, along with around half of regional services.
This will now coincide with the opening of a new station at Stuttgart Airport for long-distance services and a new depot and stabling facility at Untertürkheim, that form part of a wider restructuring of the rail network in and around Stuttgart.
Last month DB revealed that construction of the planned double track access line to the depot at Untertürkheim was “not feasible”, but that a replacement single-track layout would not impede operations based on existing forecast service patterns.
The phased opening of Stuttgart 21, which had previously been rejected, will see the continued use of the city’s existing surface terminus until mid-2027, when the extended S-Bahn tunnel via Mittnachtstrasse is due to open. Trains on Gäubahn will continue to use the Panoramabahn to access the surface station until March 2027. Final works, including a new connecting cord for regional trains at Bad Cannstatt, are expected to be completed in November 2027.
DB says that from December 2026, journey times on inter-city routes via Stuttgart will be significantly reduced. ICE trains between Stuttgart and Ulm will are scheduled to take 28 minutes, down from 43 minutes. Regional services will also benefit, with the journey time from Stuttgart main station to the airport cut from 27 minutes to 6 minutes.
