The cost totals just under # 4.8 billion, with construction currently scheduled to begin in 2010. The Stuttgart 21 megaproject involves the restructuring of the Stuttgart railway node, a 57 km rail network with 33 km of tunnel, and a new sunken central station. Stuttgart Airport and the new Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre will also be linked. The project also includes new holding sidings in Untertürkheim. Some 100 hectares of railway lines will be removed, with the area being freed up for urban development. The "Gäubahn" will be replaced by a link to the new central station via Stuttgart Airport with the new "Rohrer Kurve".
At the same time as Stuttgart 21, the line high-speed line between Wendlingen and Ulm will be upgraded. As a result, travel time from Ulm to Stuttgart will be reduced to 28 minutes. Another aspect of the project is a freight train link in Wendlingen and widening of the bridge over the Danube.
