The troubled redevelopment of the underground railway station in the south-western German city of Stuttgart, which has already faced delays and cost overruns, will now cost an extra €3 billion ($3.42 billion), rail operator Deutsche Bahn has said.
The new costs bring the total cost of the Stuttgart 21 project to approximately €14.5 billion, dpa learnt on Friday, confirming several media reports.
The price tag for the new underground station in the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg and the reorganization of the rail hub has been revised upwards repeatedly.
A financing agreement dating from 2009 only sets out the allocation of costs up to a total of just over €4.5 billion. At the time, construction costs were estimated at around €3 billion, with a buffer of €1.5 billion factored in.
Deutsche Bahn must bear all additional costs itself
For rail operator Deutsche Bahn, the delay in commissioning and the associated cost increase also represent a financial disaster. This is because a court has ruled that the company must bear all additional costs exceeding the scope of the financing agreement on its own.
Deutsche Bahn had failed in its attempt before the Stuttgart Administrative Court to bring a case that would have forced the project partners - the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Regional Association and Stuttgart Airport - to contribute towards the additional costs.
The Baden-Württemberg Higher Administrative Court later rejected an application for an appeal.
