On 20 August, up to 30,000 people took to the streets in Stuttgart to show their opposition to the planned overhaul of the main station – one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Europe. The objective is to reduce travel times, create around 4,000 new jobs and encourage investment. The aim is to make Stuttgart part of one of the longest high-speed lines in Europe – linking Paris, Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. The station will no longer be a terminus, but an underground through-station, so that trains do not have to go in and out, but can run right through. Preliminary work has started on clearing the exterior of the central station, to make way for its transformation.
Many feel that the so-called “Stuttgart 21″ project is too expensive, at around €7 billion ($US9 billion). Environmental campaigners say the new master plan is unnecessary and that it will make only a limited change to rail traffic. The current rail station is a popular landmark in Stuttgart, and residents are worried about its becoming redundant.

Original article [Railways Africa]