Bahn paralyzes local and long-distance traffic in the greater Stuttgart area for months
Wdue to technical problems with the railway project Stuttgart 21 From April 21st to July 29th as well as in November and December there will be full closures of long-distance and regional rail routes in the greater area of the Baden-Württemberg state capital.
Initially, the route will last for 14 weeks Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt – Waiblingen – Nuremberg closed, in the winter months the routes from Stuttgart towards Vaihingen and Böblingen. In addition, the main S-Bahn line will be closed in summer.
“Bitter pill” for all commuters
The reason for the closures is the laying of cables for the digital train control system ETCS. The railway speaks of a “multiplication effect in the cabling”. This is not possible while driving. Long-distance and freight traffic will also be severely affected by the measures.
Without the closures, the railway can apparently not meet the completion date for the new railway junction for the 2025 winter timetable. Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) spoke of a “bitter pill” for all commuters; Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) said that a “maximum disruption” to rail traffic was to be expected. The announcement testifies to a “miserable management” of the project.
The railways did not succeed in equipping the freight trains with the digital train control system in time, so that the new station, contrary to what was planned, now has to be equipped with the old signaling technology. Normally, the railways need six months to a year to organize the replacement service. But there are only four weeks left until the first route closure.
