Evelyn Palla, the CEO of Deutsche Bahn, stated that an announcement regarding the operational date for the new Stuttgart main train station is expected around the middle of the year. Speaking to the Funke Media Group’s Saturday edition newspapers, the head of the rail company mentioned that they are currently reviewing the project’s organization and infrastructural capacities.
The “Stuttgart 21” railway project has been underway for nearly 16 years. Its scheduled opening date was initially set for 2019 but has faced numerous postponements since then. Furthermore, the cost estimates, which were once around 3 billion euros, have risen to an estimated 11.5 billion euros, leading to repeated criticism directed at the company over this major undertaking.
Addressing the criticism, Palla remarked that, as with all large-scale projects, “it is never the fault of any single entity”. She added that the company is awaiting an audit report, from which suggestions will emerge on how to improve the management of similar large projects in the future. In conclusion, she noted that they must also critically examine their own management of the project.