The huge new £8.8bn train line linking two major cities - not everyone is happy about it

The new train system is due to be completed in 2026 when the new station is planned to open (Image: Getty Images)

This rail megaproject has been in the works for three decades but it has gained a reputation as one of Europe’s most controversial projects.

Stuttgart 21 is an urban development in Stuttgart, Germany, and would link the city to Zurich in Switzerland. 

The rail network will provide a vital link as part of a much bigger European goal, but the ambitious project has run into much backlash, reports DW News.

Building works for the rail line have not been easy as some construction works have had to take place in a still active train station. 

Stuttgart has a population of 589,793 and is located in the southwest of Germany.

The development has been ongoing for 30 years (Image: Getty Images)

The project intended to make Stuttgart a "mega-city" and create 24,000 jobs in the area.

Originally, the project promised a state of the art transportation hub, jobs, and urban regeneration for the city but it has faced challenges since it was first suggested.

Included in the plans are 11 tunnels, 42 bridges, and 100km of new tracks.

Impressively, the plans also aim to get rid of the current overground lines and rebuild them underground. This will allow for land above the surface to be redeveloped into two new neighbourhoods.

With this huge plan in place, the project would be costly and complex but this isn’t the biggest problem that has been faced so far.

Protestors were furious at the plans which they say are bad for the environment (Image: Getty Images)

Protestors were furious with the development which they said would be bad for the environment.

Costs for the regeneration project were estimated at £1.9 billion in 1995, but since then the costs have soared, with the project now estimated to cost £8.8 billion.

The plans were first meant to be completed in 2008 but planning took longer than expected, meaning building work was delayed. Today, the project is estimated to be completed in 2026 while high-speed construction for the south could take until 2032.

Despite the setbacks and complications the line has faced, significant progress has been made since the idea was first conceived.

Many parts of the project have been successfully built with a high speed line already operational. 

Whether the station will open by its 2026 date is to be determined.