Overview
- CEO Evelyn Palla told the supervisory board and project partners that the planned December 2026 in‑service start will not happen.
- Technical issues at Stuttgart’s digital rail node, including delayed approval of Hitachi systems, are identified as the main bottleneck.
- No new opening date was set, with a more reliable timeline expected around mid‑2026 according to company briefings reported by several outlets.
- All passenger services will continue using the existing above‑ground Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof into 2027, according to dpa reports from partner and board circles.
- Costs have risen to roughly €11–11.8 billion after years of delays, and court rulings this year left Deutsche Bahn on the hook for the overruns.