News from 03.01.2017

Verein Bahnprojekt Stuttgart-Ulm e.V. remains on track for success in 2016

Photo: Thomas Niedermueller. www.niedermueller.de

The Stuttgart-Ulm Rail Project Association was again on course for success in 2016, welcoming more people to the Tower Forum and the construction site for the fourth year in a row.

"The rush of people interested in our offers exceeds all expectations," says a delighted Georg Brunnhuber, Chairman of the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project association e.V. "Whether in the tower forum, on the construction site tours or at our events, people are flocking in droves. This means that our concept of informing citizens about the rail project in an entertaining way is a complete success."

From the general meeting

The regular general meeting was held on December 09, 2016, with the participation of all board members and all voting members. "The meeting took place in a good, constructive atmosphere," reports Brunnhuber. "We received great approval for our work from everyone present, and the interest in our work was palpable." Particularly during the presentation of the 2016 figures and achievements, the satisfaction of all project partners was palpable. "At the general meeting, it was also expressed that, due to the great demand, we should look into the possibility of offering more guided tours of construction sites," Brunnhuber explained. He added that the company would be happy to comply with this request, but that it would not be an easy task under the constraints of savings.

Budget

"It is gratifying that the state of Baden-Württemberg has once again contributed to the financing of the association and has arranged the succession on the board with Gerd Hickmann without any transition," Brunnhuber continued. Mr. Hickmann, Head of Department at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the State of Baden-Württemberg, was confirmed by the General Meeting as the successor to Elmar Steinbacher, the new Ministerial Director of the Ministry of Justice and for Europe.

Until the planned end of the project at the end of 2021, the association will have around three million euros a year at its disposal for its statutory public relations work, made up of grants and its own income. Subject to the approval of the respective bodies, the project partners support the association with the following amounts:

  • 2.25 million euros per year from the project partners' pot via DB Projekt Stuttgart-Ulm GmbH
  • 300,000 euros per year subsidies from the state of BW
  • 300,000 euros per year subsidies from the LHS
  • 150,000 euros per year from own revenues

"Thus the association makes its contribution to the adherence to the total costs", so the association chairman further. "The budget is thus just adequate but no longer allows for major special events."

Due to the need to save money, the realization of the Wendlingen information center and the operation of the InfoMobile had to be cancelled. This was unfortunate because concepts had already been presented to the relevant authorities and plans for the construction of the information center were well advanced - but unavoidable under the given circumstances, Brunnhuber explains the situation.

Figures 2016

In 2016, a good 260,000 visitors were counted at the Tower Forum, the central exhibition platform for the rail project. "This makes 2016 the fourth year in a row in which we were able to increase visitor numbers," Brunnhuber informs us. The previous year was also exceeded in terms of guided tours through the exhibition (2016: around 870) and on the construction site (2016: just under 600). The 2016 events on the construction site were attended by just under 50,000 interested visitors. Together with the 30,000 visitors from 2015 and the guided tours of the construction site, the target of 100,000 visitors to the construction site by the end of 2016 was achieved," says Brunnhuber.

Digital 3D model: new central station can be experienced interactively in the exhibition and in pocket format
The association also offers a unique experience in the digital world in 2017. The future new main station - historic Bonatz building and new transport station - can be viewed and walked through interactively in the Tower Forum, on the home PC and on the smartphone: 20 panorama points allow a 360° view into the future. And with the smartphone and appropriate glasses also in VR ("virtual reality"). Here the model is available to anyone at any time.

Together with the Stuttgart agency "Plan B", the entire area was created as a digital 3D model in several years of work. Already in the run-up, parts of the model were used to produce images and visualizations as well as short films. What is new now is the experience in VR.

Construction site open days around the main station: January 06-08, 2017, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The rail project is once again opening up the construction sites around Stuttgart Central Station (from LBBW to the Nesenbach culvert) - and by popular request of last year's visitors - to interested parties who want to experience the full dimension of the construction site. In direct contact with builders, engineers and specialists, questions can be asked about the sample cup, excavation pit 16, the Nesenbach culvert, groundwater management and much more.
In addition, the association offers several unique insights:

  • In the Bonatz building, the new central station can be experienced and walked through digitally in a so-called holodeck by the agency lightshape.
  • There is an opportunity for children and adults to try their hand at being an excavator operator.
  • The light rail tunnel leading to the new Staatsgalerie light rail stop can be visited for about 50 meters.

The construction sites are open on the 3 days without registration and free of charge for all interested parties. For more information on the open construction site days, please visit here.