Host Nation Update, December 11, 2024
Stuttgart gets new direct trains to three major foreign cities – Timetable change from mid-December
The timetable change from mid-December will also bring changes this year. For example, Deutsche Bahn (DB) is introducing a new, direct ICE train to the Netherlands. Departure is at 18:38 from Stuttgart and the train reaches Amsterdam at 23:29 with stops in Arnhem and Utrecht. In the opposite direction, the train leaves Amsterdam at 8.30 am and arrives in Stuttgart at 1.20 pm. The private Austrian operator Westbahn is providing a new direct connection to Vienna. Departure from Stuttgart is at 7.12 am. You arrive in Vienna at 1.52 pm. The return journey from Vienna is at 3.12 pm, arriving in Stuttgart at 9.52 pm. The train can also be used for domestic travel within Germany, for example to Munich. There is now also a second, transfer-free connection to Basel in the evening with the ICE at 17:34 from Stuttgart. Arrival in Switzerland is at 20:17. In the opposite direction from Basel, departure is at 8.27 am and arrival in Stuttgart at 11.03 am. From March, there will also be new, direct ICE connections from Stuttgart to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. During the vacation season from June 21 to October 4, there will be an additional direct connection to Upper Bavaria and Tyrol. At 9.33 a.m., an ICE train leaves Stuttgart for destinations such as Rosenheim, Innsbruck, Ötztal or St. Anton am Arlberg. In the opposite direction, the train departs St. Anton at 12:13 and arrives in Stuttgart at 18:22. An ICE train to and from Karlsruhe, which has been particularly attractive for commuters, will also be canceled. The connections from Karlsruhe on weekdays from 4.53 a.m. and from Stuttgart on Sundays to Thursdays at 11.09 p.m. will be discontinued. (Stgt Nachrichten, Dec 11, 2024)
“Fernwanderweg” (Long-distance-walk) at the main station will remain until at least 2026
If you want to travel by train in Stuttgart, you have to be a good walker. The Stuttgart 21 construction site forces rail travelers to take detours. The term “long-distance hiking trail” has long since become commonplace. At least the connection on the side of the station tower is covered – and the walls are occasionally adorned with advertisements poking fun at the malaise. There is also an electric trolley that transports people who are not good on feet from Arnulf-Klett-Platz to the tracks or back. This situation is not going to change any time soon. After the most recent meeting of the Stuttgart 21 steering committee, Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper once again brought the issue to the public’s attention. “The so-called long-distance route to and from the tracks should be closed as quickly as possible and a direct route through the Bonatzbau should be opened – if at all possible during the test phase for the station,” said the city hall boss. According to Nopper, the railroad is signaling concessions for another annoyance for passers-by in the area around the station: the shortest path in the Schlossgarten between the tracks and the Staatsgalerie tram stop, which was closed at the beginning of November due to the weather, will soon be available again. “According to the project company, the footbridge between the beer garden in the Mittlerer Schlossgarten and the planetarium will be open again from December 19,” says Nopper. (SN, Dec 11, 2024)
Admission prices for the TV tower rise significantly
According to SWR Media Services GmbH, rising costs for energy and tradesmen are the reason for “the price adjustment”, as the TV tower’s leaseholder describes the significant price increase of almost 20 percent for the beginning of next year. The last price increase was three years ago. While adults will have to pay two euros more in future (from 10.50 euros to 12.50 euros), the increase for reduced tickets for children, students and the disabled is even greater: Instead of the previous 5.50 euros, this group will pay 8 euros in future, which is actually 2.50 euros more than before. Those who want to visit the Stuttgart landmark more often will continue to save money with the season ticket. In future, it will cost 50 Euros or 30 Euros reduced instead of the previous 40 or 20 Euros. The annual pass has already paid for itself with four visits. The family ticket for two parents and all their own children up to and including the age of 15 will cost 35 Euros in future. From January 1, (secondary) school classes will pay six Euros per person, while admission remains free for kindergarten groups. There are also discounts for larger groups of adults, which you should enquire about. The TV tower is generally open Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm. (SN Dec 11, 24)
“Christmas pardon” in Baden-Württemberg – Why prisoners can be released earlier before Christmas
This year, more than 160 prisoners have benefited from the almost traditional Christmas amnesty of the Baden-Württemberg justice system. According to the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Justice, they were released from prison early and can spend the festive season at home instead in their cells. Last year, 218 prisoners benefited from the amnesty. The Christmas amnesty has been in place in the southwest since 1963. “It is intended to simplify the orderly reintegration into society,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Justice Marion Gentges (CDU) about the new figures. “Those affected should have the opportunity to organize the first steps towards an independent life before the holidays and prepare themselves for the challenges living in freedom,” she said. The “Christmas pardon or amnesty” is usually about releases that take place a few days earlier for humanitarian reasons. Prisoners who would have been released around Christmas anyway are given the opportunity to complete all administrative formalities before the holidays. This will allow them, for example, to create the conditions for a secure housing situation at Christmas. In most other federal states, prisoners are also released early thanks to the Christmas reprieve. However, the amnesty is subject to conditions in Baden-Württemberg. Individual prisoners must have been in custody since at least September and agree to early release. In addition, no disciplinary measures must have been imposed on the prisoners in recent months and no extradition proceedings must be pending. A further exclusion criterion is criminal prosecution for offenses committed while in custody. In November, there was an average of around 7,000 people in prisons in Baden-Württemberg, of which around 6,500 were in closed prisons. (SN, Dec 11, 2024)