Bernhard Bauer: "We experience many people who are enthusiastic about the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project and who think it is a necessary and great project."

With the exhibition about Stuttgart 21 (InfoTurmStuttgart, or ITS for short) and the guided tours of the construction site offered, the Stuttgart-Ulm e.V. rail project association provided information to around 30,000 visitors about the rail project from S-Feuerbach to Dornstadt in 2021 and organized 750 guided tours of the construction site. Around 20,000 people visited the ITS. "Interest in S21 and the follow-up projects remains high. This is also shown by the positive approval ratings of the current citizens' survey in Stuttgart," says a pleased Bernhard Bauer, chairman of the association for the overarching public relations work on the Stuttgart-Ulm rail project, which is supported by the financing partners. "In the six months since the end of May, during which we have been able to open the exhibition and offer guided tours, we have experienced a run not seen in 23 years. People are excited about the concept and the new techniques in the exhibition, as well as the view of the construction site. I don't know a guest who didn't walk out of the building with a face full of wonder and joy." The association's long-term record was broken with more than 150 tours of the construction site in each of the months of July and October, especially with tours at the Filstal Bridge. "In spite of Corona, people came to us," Bauer shows his surprise. And he continues: "They like to get information directly and on site in order to form their own opinion. The facts on the construction site and in the ITS speak a clear language that a necessary and great project is coming here, of which the people of Stuttgart, but also the people of Baden-Württemberg, will still be proud."

As every year, guided tours of the construction site will be suspended from December 15 to mid-January. They will take place again from January 15, 2022. Bookings via the homepage are possible at any time. The ITS exhibition will be open on all days from 09:00 to 18:00 over the turn of the year. It will only be closed from 24 to 26 December 2021 and on 31 December 2021 and 01 and 02 January 2022. Admission is free of charge. Guided tours of the exhibition can be booked on the above-mentioned open days.

Site open days around Epiphany (January 06-08, 2022) postponed.

Due to the current pandemic situation, the association has decided for health and employee protection reasons that the open site days traditionally held around Epiphany will not be held in January 2022. "This decision was not easy for us and we are sorry. But if Christmas markets and other major events are canceled, we will not be able to open the construction site around Stuttgart Central Station," Bauer says, explaining the decision. In January 2020, shortly before the pandemic spread in Germany, more than 64,000 visitors came to the site in three days. "From conversations and letters we know how much people would have liked to look at and experience the new platform hall directly on site. That's why our goal is to work with the DB project company and the construction companies to find a date in the spring and give people this experience," Bauer added.

As soon as a date is found, the information is on the homepage www.its-projekt.de as well as on Facebook and Instagram (@infoturmstuttgart) of the association.

• ITS has developed a hygiene and health protection concept that ensures compliance with current requirements.
• Accordingly, anyone who can present proof of 2Gplus in accordance with the current ordinance of the state of Baden-Württemberg has access to the exhibition and is entitled to participate in guided tours.
• Information and booking requests are accepted by the association at fuehrung@its-projekt.de or call 0711/184 217 - 16.

More information of the association under www.its-projekt.de.