A major rail construction project to reroute rail traffic around Stuttgart and build a new main train station will take at least another year, sources at German rail operator Deutsche Bahn told the news magazine Spiegel.
The opening of Stuttgart's new main train station has been postponed until December 2026, the magazine reported on Monday.
Deutsche Bahn told dpa that an update about the project timeline would be provided on Tuesday, following a meeting with project partners in Stuttgart, located in south-western Germany.
The rail infrastructure project, dubbed Stuttgart 21, has long been highly controversial because of its massive price tag and the disruption caused by the construction work.
In addition to rebuilding the main train station, the project involves re-routing rail lines around the city.
New stations are being built, including a larger rail station at Stuttgart airport, and workers are constructing dozens of kilometres of railroad tracks and tunnels, culverts and bridges.
The project, which was first announced in 1995, has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Construction began in 2010 despite protests against the project.
State-owned Deutsche Bahn now estimates the total expense at around €11 billion ($11.8 billion), at least €6.5 billion more than initially planned. The railway has also set aside another €500 million as buffer.
In May, a court in Stuttgart rejected lawsuits brought by Deutsche Bahn and its subsidiaries that sought to force partners in the project, including the city of Stuttgart and the state of Baden-Württemberg, to shoulder some of the additional costs.
