Construction of the Pfaffensteig Tunnel began on schedule on 12 October 2026 with the symbolic first dig. The 11-kilometre-long tunnel will in future link the Gäubahn with the Stuttgart 21 infrastructure and significantly improve connections to the airport, long-distance rail services and the wider Stuttgart area.
The tunnel portal was excavated to allow for tunnelling operations, as well as to provide access to the tunnel for future inspection work and for emergency vehicles. The first tunnel boring machine is due to be commissioned in a year’s time.
What makes the Pfaffensteig Tunnel special is not only the scale of the project, but also the collaboration: under the ‘Rail Planning and Construction Partnership’ model, Deutsche Bahn and its alliance partners are planning and building the project together and are jointly taking responsibility for deadlines, costs and quality from the outset.
The Pfaffensteig Tunnel is scheduled to enter service from 2033. Travellers will then benefit, amongst other things, from significantly shorter journey times between Stuttgart and Zurich, as well as a much faster connection between Böblingen and Stuttgart Airport.
As part of the alliance, we are delighted to be involved in this forward-looking infrastructure project and to work together to lay the foundations for an efficient and sustainable rail infrastructure.
