Train service Gäubähn may reach Stuttgart Central Station by the year's end in 2026.
The Mittnachtstraße station, currently under construction as part of the Stuttgart 21 project, is set to connect with the S-Bahn network and bring changes to its operation. The new station, scheduled to open in July 2027, will serve S-Bahn lines S1 to S6 and S60, with an estimated daily ridership of around 70,000 passengers.
The integration of Mittnachtstraße station into the existing S-Bahn Stammstrecke involves operational changes, particularly for lines S2, S3, and S6, which may see increased travel times by up to five minutes due to timetable adjustments required by new routing and infrastructure constraints. Passengers on the Gäubahn line, connecting Zurich and Stuttgart, will need to transfer at Stuttgart-Vaihingen to reach the Hauptbahnhof, as some direct tracks are removed.
The new station's connection to the S-Bahn network is a significant part of the project, with Deutsche Bahn board member Bertold Huber promising to examine the issue "open-mindedly" in the 35th meeting of the S21 steering committee. The completion date of the railway project remains December 2026, with the main new sections of the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof set to open in late 2026, featuring digital train control to improve service reliability.
The Pfaffensteigtunnel, a planned €1 billion project, is expected to connect the Gäubahn with the airport from 2032, allowing trains to reach the new main station in six minutes. The neighboring municipalities of the Gäubahn have expressed concerns about being left without service if the dam is removed, an obstacle necessary for the new station's connection to the S-Bahn network.
In the face of these changes, Huber has committed to the third stage of digitization, aiming for the Stuttgart S-Bahn network to be fully converted to the European train control system ETCS by 2032. To mitigate the impact of track closures, a task force will now address announcing closures in advance to allow commuters to prepare. During the track closures, passengers will have no other option than to take the Stadtbahn between Stuttgart-Vaihingen and the Stuttgart main station.
The completion of the third stage of digitization will result in the creation of the world's first digital node for an entire region by 2032. This digital transformation aims to improve overall network efficiency and urban access but requires timetable and transfer adaptations by passengers during and after the transition.
The integration of finance will be crucial in the completion of the Pfaffensteigtunnel, a costly project estimated at €1 billion, with the aim of connecting the Gäubahn to the airport from 2032. The transportation sector will experience a notable shift, as the new S-Bahn lines serving Mittnachtstraße station from July 2027 might lead to increased travel times due to infrastructure constraints.
