On 09.12. the time had come. The new Wendlingen-Ulm line officially went into operation. Around 200 invited guests, together with Dr. Richard Lutz, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Bahn AG, Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport or Dr. Walter Götz, Head of the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Transport of the European Commission, were among the first to travel on the line to Ulm. Minister President Kretschmann and Gunter Czisch, Lord Mayor of the City of Ulm addressed the advantages of the line for Baden-Württemberg at the commissioning ceremony.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed a new high-performance main line for rail traffic throughout Germany. The new Wendlingen-Ulm line officially went into operation on December 9. Together with Stuttgart 21, it is part of the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project and is located on the so-called "Magistrale for Europe", which connects cities and regions with a total of 34 million inhabitants in five countries. With the new line, DB is accelerating long-distance traffic throughout Germany with the timetable change on December 11, thus making an important contribution to more traffic on climate-friendly rail. In the future, trains will be able to cross the Swabian Alb at high speed. This not only shortens the travel time between Stuttgart and Munich. Direct city connections between Munich and Frankfurt/Main or Cologne will also become more attractive.

DB CEO Dr. Richard Lutz: "The impact of the new Wendlingen-Ulm line extends far beyond the region. It is the new pacesetter for the railroad and a supporting pillar in our rail network. The benefits for people and the economy are already enormous. And it will be even greater when Stuttgart 21 opens in three years' time. My special thanks go to everyone who has worked on this impressive project over many years."

Michael Theurer, Federal Government Commissioner for Rail Transport: "The Wendlingen-Ulm line is a project of the century, a milestone for the implementation of the Deutschlandtakt and the international transversal from Paris via Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Munich and on to Vienna and Bratislava. The new construction will relieve the Filstal line, which will then have more capacity for local but above all for freight traffic. I would like to thank all those involved for this. The positive effects for travelers and the economy once again clearly show how important it is to press ahead with infrastructure expansion now. Only if we move faster here will we have a chance of achieving our climate targets."

Winfried Kretschmann, Minister President of the State of Baden-Württemberg: "The new line is a benefit in several ways: it shortens travel times and creates more connections. Stuttgart and Ulm are moving closer together. But also Paris and Budapest. For us as an exporting country in the heart of Europe, this is an important aspect. In addition, the connection makes an important contribution to climate-friendly mobility for everyone. Only with ultra-modern, well-developed train connections can we get traffic off the roads and out of the air and onto the rails. That's why the state was happy to support the project with almost one billion euros. To build 60 kilometers of track with eleven tunnels and 37 bridges in just ten years is a great achievement! My thanks go to all those involved who have done an outstanding job here."

Dr. Walter Götz, Head of the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Transport of the European Commission: "The new line from Wendlingen to Ulm is a great addition to the rail network in southern Germany. At the same time, it is also a key project for the Rhine-Danube corridor of our trans-European transport network policy. In the future, the new line will also better connect regions and cities from Western Europe with regions and cities in Central and Eastern Europe and make cross-border rail traffic on long-distance routes more attractive. This makes the new line a key step toward achieving the EU climate targets in the transport sector."

Gunter Czisch, Lord Mayor of the City of Ulm: "When the rail link to Ulm via the Geislinger Steige was completed in 1850, the line was considered a 'masterpiece of engineering'. This attribute is also due to the new line. Deutsche Bahn shows what the mobility of the future can and must look like: climate-friendly, fast and comfortable - and by rail. Ulm and the region have always been committed to this line. Now our commitment is bearing fruit."