Stuttgart's new train station is not due to open before the end of 2031, sources told dpa on Wednesday, saying the railway operator has pushed back the launch of the controversial underground project by another five years and for the fifth time since construction began in 2010.
The new main station in the south-western German city, which is home to major firms including Mercedes and Bosch, has become the object of ridicule among Germans and is considered emblematic of the country's struggle to update its crumbing infrastructure.
Completion of the project - dubbed Stuttgart 21 - has repeatedly been delayed as the project continues to accrue skyrocketing costs, while Stuttgarters have been forced to navigate a massive construction site in the city centre for more than a decade.
Initially due to open in 2019, the station was scheduled to be partially operational at the end of 2026, but state-owned operator Deutsche Bahn scrapped that goal in November, citing problems with digitalization.
Following a thorough review of the project, the opening has now been scheduled for the end of 2031, representatives of Deutsche Bahn told the transport committee in parliament, according to sources present.
Deutsche Bahn can't catch a break
A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn declined to comment on the latest delay, saying the new commissioning plan is due to be presented on Friday.
Stuttgart 21 is just one of the woes facing the German railway operator, with train services having become more and more unreliable over the past years, much to the dismay of punctuality-loving Germans.
Deutsche Bahn has launched a major refurbishment agenda to overhaul key lines over the next decades, meaning delays are likely to persist over the foreseeable future.
