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.
In the latest fiasco for the operator, railway services across the country came to a halt for some two hours overnight due to a failure of the digital communications system, leaving countless passengers stranded.
Stuttgart to become first digital station
Under the plans for Stuttgart 21, the city's main train station, currently still a terminus, is to be moved underground and converted into a through-station for trains to pass through the city more seamlessly.
In addition to work on the main station, the project also includes new stations elsewhere in Stuttgart, including at the airport, alongside dozens of kilometres of railway tracks and tunnel tubes, underpasses and bridges.
The main station is set to become the first in Germany that will be completely digitalized, meaning traditional light signals are being replaced with the ETCS digital signalling system.
However, installing the new system has proven more challenging than previously assumed, the sources said, citing Deutsche Bahn representatives.
Some cables will have to be relaid as a result, according to previous media results.
Deutsche Bahn must also improve the control systems and the power supply, according to the sources.
Costs continue to skyrocket
A financing agreement dating back to 2009 allocated a total of €4.5 billion ($5.1 billion) for Stuttgart 21.
Since then, costs have skyrocketed, with Deutsche Bahn last estimating a total cost of some €11.3 billion. However, this is likely to rise further due to the latest delay.
At the transport committee meeting, Deutsche Bahn representatives initially declined to comment on the costs, saying these were to be discussed by the supervisory board.
