The CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Evelyn Palla, plans to announce the expected operational date for the new Stuttgart central station around the middle of the year. Speaking to the Funke Media Group newspapers (Saturday editions), the Bahn executive stated, “We are currently reviewing the project, organization, and capacities”.
The “Stuttgart 21” rail project has been underway for nearly 16 years. Its commissioning was initially scheduled for 2019 but has since been postponed multiple times. Furthermore, the costs, originally estimated at around 3 billion euros, have now climbed to an estimated 11.5 billion euros. Because of this, the railway has been repeatedly criticized regarding this major undertaking.
When addressing this criticism, Palla remarked that, “In the end, it’s like with any major project: no single person is to blame for everything”. She noted that they are currently awaiting a revision report, which is expected to generate suggestions for how better execution can be achieved in future large-scale projects. Concluding her statement, she added, “In the end, we must also ask ourselves if we managed the project correctly”.
