Since Friday, 18 October 2024, the light rail trains on Stuttgart’s U5 line have been servicing the new section beyond the previous terminus at Leinfelden Bahnhof until the new terminus at Leinfelden Neuer Markt, approximately 700 metres of new track. The trains continue to run every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the early morning and late evening. Stuttgart’s main railway station can be reached in approximately 27 minutes.
The new terminus has two elevated side platforms designed for operation with 40-metre trains. However, all the necessary preconditions have already been created to switch to double trains if required. This means that the platforms can easily be extended to a length of 80 metres without the need for additional structural measures on the light rail line.
The double-track line runs above ground along its entire length and is designed as a slab track with extensively planted rough grassland. This greening gives the railway track an attractive appearance and improves the ecological quality of the line. However, ballast was used in the switch areas, and an official inauguration ceremony with local politicians had already taken place the day before.
In future, the U5 line will extend even further into the centre of Echterdingen, and planning is currently underway. The new terminus has already been prepared for a future extension. However, operations are not expected to start here until 2029 at the earliest. Until 3 November 1990, Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen GmbH once ran beyond Leinfelden to Echterdingen – however, this section of the line disappeared when the network was converted from a metre-gauge tramway into the current standard-gauge light rail system.
31.10.2024
