Deutsche Bahn has announced that key sections of the Stuttgart 21 railway infrastructure project—including the future underground Stuttgart Central Station—will enter service in December 2026.
In parallel, the long-distance station at Stuttgart Airport and the new yard in Untertürkheim will also begin operation. Additional infrastructure including the Große and Kleine Wendlinger Kurve will connect services to and from Tübingen and Reutlingen to the new rail hub. Sections of the existing Stuttgart rail network—including areas in Untertürkheim, Bad Cannstatt, Münster, and the port zone—will be upgraded with digital control and signaling technology.
Commissioning plan adjusted to minimise service interruptions
The Stuttgart 21 steering committee agreed on changes to the commissioning concept to reduce passenger disruption. The original plan required overlapping line closures across 2026. Under the revised timeline, the existing terminal station will remain operational until mid-2027. The Gäubahn will continue to run via the Panoramabahn into the terminal station until March 2027. Full commissioning is expected by November 2027 with the completion of regional track integration at Bad Cannstatt station.
Travel time reductions projected from December 2026
Travel times for long-distance and regional services are projected to decrease once the new infrastructure becomes operational. Examples include:
- Long-distance:
- Stuttgart–Ulm (ICE): 28 min (previously 43 min)
- Mannheim–Ulm: 1 h 08 min (previously 1 h 27 min)
- Karlsruhe–Ulm: 1 h 07 min (previously 1 h 29 min)
- Stuttgart–Munich: 1 h 40 min (previously 1 h 58 min)
- Frankfurt–Munich: 3 h 01 min (previously 3 h 12 min)
- Regional:
- Stuttgart–Ulm (RE): 41 min (previously 1 h 04 min)
- Stuttgart–Airport: 6 min (previously 27 min)
- Ulm–Airport: 28 min (previously 58 min by bus)
- Reutlingen–Airport: 27 min (previously 47 min by bus)
- Friedrichshafen–Airport: 1 h 38 min (previously 2 h 24 min by bus)
- Nürtingen–Stuttgart: 19 min (previously 30 min)
- Heilbronn–Airport: 48 min (previously 1 h 25 min)
Travel time figures are subject to final timetable adjustments for 2027.
Closures and replacement services during commissioning
Line closures required for construction will occur throughout 2026 and 2027. Key disruptions include:
- Summer 2026: Partial closures in the Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and Bad Cannstatt areas, including the S-Bahn trunk line.
- Spring 2027: A 12-week closure of the S-Bahn main line between Stuttgart-Vaihingen and Stuttgart Hbf (underground), covering Easter and Whitsun. During this period, the terminus station will remain available for selected S-Bahn services.
- 2027: Digitalised lines Stuttgart-Vaihingen–Filderstadt and Stuttgart-Vaihingen–Böblingen to be activated after a four-week closure.
- 2027: Phased closures of S-Bahn and regional platforms at Bad Cannstatt—tracks 1–4 (S-Bahn) in early 2027 and tracks 5–8 (regional) through November 2027.
Rail replacement transport will be organised with support from Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen, using buses and light rail. A joint task force, coordinated with input from the Stuttgart Institute of Transport Science (VWI), is developing service plans for affected periods.
