Federal government funds Stuttgart digital vehicle fit-out with EUR 340m

The funding covers retrofitting 118 existing vehicles and 130 new double-deck trains of the state with ETCS, highly automated driving (ATO GoA 2) and FRMCS, plus 215 existing S-Bahn vehicles; the state fit-out costs almost EUR 270 million, with the state paying the remaining EUR 70 million or so.

Alstom has been retrofitting since 2021, with series work in Villeneuve (Switzerland); the ETCS retrofit of the state's vehicles is due to finish by the end of 2026. The equipment is mandatory for the start of Stuttgart 21, and the ministry says the project's delay has no effect because the vehicles still carry conventional train protection (LOK Report, 19 Jan 2026).