Matthias Gastel, the Green Party expert on rail matters in the Bundestag, sharply criticized the concept of Stuttgart 21 following news of another construction delay. In an interview with “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland,” Gastel stated that Stuttgart 21 “was and is a capital error.” Multiple media outlets reported on Monday that the underground rail hub is probably not set to be completed until 2031, putting the completion ten years behind schedule. Gastel lamented that the capacity and operational flexibility of the new hub were insufficient, arguing that supplementary infrastructure is necessary to create additional travel options and capacities, rather than focusing solely on timelines and costs. He emphasized that a structure being built over 60 years must be primarily measured by its functionality and long-term viability. Stuttgart is intended to be the first entirely digitized train station in the country. While the Deutsche Bahn initially planned the construction costs at 4.5 billion euros, the estimate has now risen to 11.3 billion euros.
Politics
