The German national railway company, Deutsche Bahn, will bear the substantial additional costs associated with the Stuttgart 21 rail infrastructure project without financial support from regional partners. The Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) has rejected an appeal against a previous ruling by the Stuttgart Administrative Court, issued on May 2024.
The decision stems from an ongoing dispute over the financing of the ambitious Stuttgart 21 project. Deutsche Bahn had requested a further €4.7 billion in funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Region Association and Stuttgart Airport. The railway company had offered to contribute €2.5 billion itself.
The Stuttgart Administrative Court previously dismissed Deutsche Bahn’s claim, citing limitations within the existing financing agreement which capped state contributions at €4.5 billion and outlined a process for negotiation should further expenses arise. The court found that Deutsche Bahn had not presented compelling arguments to justify challenging this existing framework.
The Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg’s decision not to permit the appeal against this ruling makes the Stuttgart Administrative Court’s decision legally binding. The case number associated with the ruling is 14 S 1737/24, dated August 1, 2025. This effectively concludes the appeals process regarding this specific aspect of the Stuttgart 21 project’s financing.