Deutsche Bahn Explaining Why the New Stuttgart Main Station Will Not Have Air Conditioning Has Sparked Amusement and Criticism Online

The clip, published on YouTube, shows the company's reasoning for omitting climate control in the underground station, which is part of the massive Stuttgart 21 project. In the video, René Krull from the technical project management of Stuttgart 21 explains that the new deep-level station will not need additional air conditioning due to its underground location. "The building components take on the temperature of the subsurface, and the massive structure, combined with its embedding in the earth, ensures that temperatures inside remain relatively constant, Krull says.

The station is also located at the lowest point of the Stuttgart valley basin, with all connecting tunnels leading upward. "Incoming air cools down and pushes down into the station. This ensures that the temperature in the station remains relatively constant throughout the year, Krull adds.

The movement of trains also contributes to air exchange between the tunnels and the station. Viewers reacted with skepticism and humor. One user joked, "Because the station will only be completed by the next ice age.

Clever. Another wrote, "My great-great-great-grandchildren will be happy about pleasant temperatures at the opening, referring to the latest delay of the station's opening by another five years to the end of 2031. Critics questioned the reasoning, with one commentator asking, "I wonder what it will be like when the waste heat from all the electric locomotives, IC Es, and so on is added. Another user wondered why the neighboring underground S-Bahn station is always hot and stuffy in summer, while others cited similar experiences in the London Underground.

A Deutsche Bahn spokesman explained the difference, citing the length of the connecting tunnels. For the Stuttgart 21 station, these are between three and nine kilometers long and lie up to 220 meters deep. "The S-Bahn station Hauptbahnhof, on the other hand, is only a few dozen meters from the tunnel portal, which lies in the track area of the old terminus station, and therefore does not benefit from air cooled in tunnels on both sides, the spokesman said.

The Stuttgart 21 project has long been a target of mockery due to its delays and cost overruns. The heritage-protected Bonatz building in Stuttgart is visible in the video.