Bringing the region closer together
Being a metropolitan region is both a challenge and an obligation: people must be able to get from A to B quickly and without disruption, and central hubs such as the airport, railway station and trade fair centre must be quickly and easily accessible. Stuttgart 21 plays an important role here. However, people in Stuttgart and the region can not only look forward to a fast direct connection to the Filder region, many faster direct connections are also crucial for the region, for example to get from Ludwigsburg to Esslingen or from Herrenberg to Waiblingen. The region is moving closer together - and public transport is getting even better.
The Stuttgart Region Association and Stuttgart 21
The Verband Region Stuttgart is investing in the Stuttgart 21 project in those areas that will help to improve local transportation in the region. These include the future separate routing of the S-Bahn between Bad Cannstatt and the main railway station, the new Mittnachtstraße S-Bahn station, the routing of regional trains via the airport, the expansion of the airport into a mobility hub and the Wendlinger Kurve. The Verband Region Stuttgart is contributing 100 million euros to these measures. The regional contribution is capped and set out in the financing agreement for Stuttgart 21.
As with many other major projects, completion of the Stuttgart 21 project has been delayed due to implementation problems. A new commissioning date is expected to be announced in mid-2026.
- The region expects Deutsche Bahn to provide a realistic, reliable and complete timetable, combined with transparent disclosure of all risks and dependencies as well as reliable and timely information.
- Until commissioning, the region demands a coordinated concept for stable S-Bahn operations, the early and reliable involvement of the Stuttgart Region Association, stable operation of the existing infrastructure and its preventive maintenance.
- The Gäubahn should be taken off the network as late as operationally possible.
- The Verband Region Stuttgart also emphasizes the central importance of Stuttgart 21 and the Stuttgart Digital Node for the future of rail transport in the region. The capacity increases associated with digitalization are a prerequisite for denser intervals, better connections and stable operating quality. As a pilot and model region for the nationwide expansion of digital rail, the Stuttgart Region has a special responsibility in this regard.
Pfaffensteig tunnel
In order to be able to implement the Deutschlandtakt, an extensive expansion of the route from Stuttgart to Singen is also planned. A central component is the so-called Pfaffensteigtunnel between Böblingen and the airport. This tunnel replaces the previous plans as part of Stuttgart 21 for the connection in the direction of Böblingen. The tunnel enables shorter journey times and makes a significant contribution to ensuring that the S-Bahn between Vaihingen and the airport can continue to run on its own tracks. Once the tunnel is completed, the hub at the airport will therefore be significantly more attractive, especially for passengers coming from the south, compared to the previous plans.
Stuttgart 21 is a complex project. In order to introduce the project and its impact to the general public, all of the funding partners for the project have invested in an exhibition building called InfoTurm Stuttgart or ‘ITS’ for short on Platform 16 at Stuttgart’s main station (Hauptbahnhof). Over three floors and a viewing platform, the exhibition provides information about the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project as well as related future developments. Using numerous digital exhibits in conjunction with large-scale graphics, augmented reality and immersive 3D exhibits, the ITS team invites visitors to get to know Stuttgart 21 better.
