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State capital Stuttgart

Urban development

Stuttgart-Ulm rail project

The Stuttgart-Ulm rail project comprises Stuttgart 21 and the new Wendlingen-Ulm line. The "S21" construction project is the largest expansion concept for public rail transport in Baden-Württemberg since the 19th century and one of the most comprehensive rail projects in Europe.

Visualization of the new main station in Stuttgart. The 56-meter-high station tower is a landmark of the city and will remain.

Reorganization of the Stuttgart rail hub

Stuttgart 21 is a transport project to reorganize the Stuttgart railroad junction. A total of almost 60 kilometers of new railroad line and three new passenger stations (Stuttgart main station, Stuttgart Airport/Messe station and the Mittnachtstraße S-Bahn station at the new Stuttgart Rosenstein) and a new stabling station in Untertürkheim will ensure that the Stuttgart rail hub becomes more efficient. The new Wendlingen-Ulm line is part of the high-speed network in southern Germany and a key component of the Frankfurt-Stuttgart-Munich rail axis.

The Stuttgart-Ulm mega rail project is being realized by Deutsche Bahn AG. Deutsche Bahn's partners are the European Union, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Stuttgart Region Association and the state capital Stuttgart.

Stuttgart 21 subproject

Stuttgart's terminus station will become an efficient through station. In future, the tracks of the main station will run at a depth of around eleven meters. The existing station building with its large hall and tower will be retained and a new platform hall will be added. Short and barrier-free routes will make it possible to change trains quickly. The new airport/trade fair station will give the region south of the state capital access to long-distance and regional transport.

There are new prospects for urban development within Stuttgart: the Europaviertel has been created on the site of the former rail freight and shunting yard. Its development is now almost complete. On the other hand, the city acquired the Rosenstein development area from the railroad in 2001. The tracks for the existing main railway station are currently located here. The city intends to develop the Stuttgart Rosenstein residential quarter on this approximately 85-hectare site after the new main railway station opens, with the involvement of local residents. Following a development process involving the citizens of the state capital, the  Stuttgart Rosenstein framework plan (opens in a new tab) was adopted by the city of Stuttgart's committees.

A tour of the Stuttgart 21 construction site

In the future station concourse, the chalice supports and the shell roof are already clearly visible.
Fabrication of a goblet support: In addition to their supporting function for the station roof, the goblet supports, thanks to their upward-opening shape, direct daylight from outside into the platform hall.
View of the north end of the station: This is where the trains coming from Mannheim will later be guided to the platforms.
Feuerbach tunnel: This leads all trains coming from Mannheim to the new underground station.
Cannstatt Tunnel: The shell of this single-track tube has been completed. In the next step, the slab track will be constructed here. The blue light indicates a fire-fighting water intake point.
Rosensteinpark escape shaft: The shaft serves as an escape route from the S-Bahn and Fernbahn and leads to Ehmannstraße.
View from the Neckar Bridge to the new Rosenstein portal of the Cannstatt Tunnel: All trains from the east travel via this tunnel to the new underground station.
Ehmannstrasse emergency access road: In operational condition, this will be an access road for emergency services. Currently, the access road is used by logistics for delivery of the concrete.
Sebastian Heer is team leader at DB's Stuttgart-Ulm project and took us around the Stuttgart 21 construction site for this photo gallery.

Wendlingen-Ulm new line subproject

The new line from Wendlingen to Ulm is the new high-speed route along the A8 highway. It offers a fast and comfortable route across the Swabian Alb. Regional, national and international travel times will be significantly reduced. Baden-Württemberg will be permanently connected to the European high-speed network - the main line between Paris and Bratislava/Budapest. Scheduled rail operations on the new Wendlingen-Ulm line have been running since December 11, 2022.

Information for citizens

The project partners of the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project inform citizens about the construction sites of the rail project. Depending on the progress of the construction work, information events are held in the various districts. Representatives of DB Projekt Stuttgart-Ulm GmbH provide information about the upcoming construction work in the respective district. DB Projekt Stuttgart-Ulm GmbH also reports on current topics at meetings of the Stuttgart district councils in coordination with the Ombudsman. The central information platform of DB Projekt Stuttgart-Ulm GmbH is the  Stuttgart-Ulm rail project website (opens in a new tab).

Stuttgart 21 Committee

The  Stuttgart 21 /Rosenstein Committee discusses current topics and issues in connection with the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project and the Stuttgart Rosenstein urban development project. You can research the resolutions on Stuttgart 21 passed by the municipal council in the  council information system .

Civil engineering office with municipal drainage company (SES)

Kontaktstelle im Projekt Stuttgart 21

Symbol image person contact
Information from the S21 and Rosenstein offices

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Explanations and information

Picture credits

  • ingenhoven architects
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • City of Stuttgart
  • asp architects
  • LHS/Marcus Gloger