Stuttgart 21: Excavation of Rosenstein S-Bahn Tunnel
The DB Projekt Stuttgart–Ulm GmbH celebrated the start of the excavation for the part of the Rosenstein S-Bahn Tunnel to be driven from the bank of the Neckar on July 16, 2019. The future suburban railway tunnel will run between the Neckar Bridge and the Mittnachtstraße S-Bahn stop. The 1170 m long Rosenstein Tunnel is to be driven from two points: from the intermediate point-of-attack at the holding sidings and from the Rosenstein portal. A part of the roughly 570 m long twin-track tube section of will be excavated from within the Rosenstein Park on the bank of the Neckar. Work on the twin-track section of the Bad Cannstatt main-line tunnel has been progressing on the slope in the park since December 2018. Roughly 60 % of the drive has already been completed there.
A joint venture comprising the companies Hochtief, BEMO Tunnelling and Wayss & Freytag was commissioned to construct the S-Bahn Tunnel. The main driving activities on the S-Bahn tube and the Bad Cannstatt Tunnel are scheduled to be over by early 2020.
Delay in Tunnelling due to Conservation
Six trees potentially harbouring endangered beetles (Osmoderma eremite) had to be felled in February 2018 to produce the Bad Cannstatt Tunnel. For this purpose, the DB Projekt Stuttgart–Ulm GmbH had to apply for a modification to the planning with the Federal Railways Authority (EBA). It emerged that the approval of the EU Commission was also required during the plan modification procedure. This was received in January 2018, two and a half years after the application. As a result, the construction of the S-Bahn Rosenstein Tunnel was also held up.
