This Transit System is EXTREMELY Complicated! | Stuttgart S-Bahn & Stadtbahn

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Stuttgart might seem like a car lover's paradise at first glance - both Porsche & Mercedes-Benz have headquarters there after all - but it's still a German city, and that means a city with a very good rapid transit system. Let's take a closer look!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.

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[@strogelvauss]

I can tell you from first-hand experience that falling asleep in the S4 and ending up in a dark train waiting in the loop at Schwabstraße to turn around is an experience that will not necessarily improve the quality of your day.

[@Dukhanstmichmal]

As a former Stuttgart resident i have to say i absolutely love the U-Bahn. Where the S-Bahn keeps doing DB things like having long delays and poor reliability, the U-Bahn just works. You can get anywhere in the city, quick, easy and comfortable. Especially when paired up with the SSBs also pretty dense and reliable bus network.

[@derlaurenz]

Thank you Reece, if you actually plan on covering all German mass transit systems, you'll have enough potential content for months .... :-)

[@kaischollenberger8668]

Yessss finally Stuttgart. You mentioned Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, but it would have been nice to also mention Bosch as the world's largest automotive supplier. With large office buildings on one side of the tracks at the Feuerbach S-Bahn station and a huge manufacturing plant on the other. Similar to the stations of the Porsche and Mercedes plants, thousands of Bosch employees arrive in Feuerbach by S-Bahn and U-Bahn.

[@jamalgibson8139]

I just have to say, after watching this video of a major car manufacturing city in Germany that still has quite an impressive rail network, just imagine what Detroit, and the state of Michigan in general, could have done if they built something like this instead of destroying half the city to build highways.

[@jobw]

The "U" portion of the U15 has another impressive feat: With 8,5% it is the (or one of) the steepest normal gauge adhesion railways in Europe.

[@Gokatgo]

When Stuttgart 21 was planned in the late 90s and early 2000s rail was on the downturn. Sadly this means that the 8 platforms are painfully undersized today and I really hope they put some stub ends underground adjacent to the next station to be built cut and cover to add more capacity.

[@DerNoergler]

To not build a proper U-Bahn-System (as originally intended) was a pretty clever decision in the 1960s - Stuttgart saved a ton of money and developed a good Stadtbahn-System instead. Basically all parts of Stuttgart have a very good connection to the city center via Stadtbahn or S-Bahn.

[@greghuang2314]

I visited Stuttgart in April! The Stadtbahn felt similar to LA Metro, but with far more lines and redundancy. And the S-Bahn is way better than Metrolink in LA. Also a sidenote, nearby Esslingen am Neckar has one of only three trolleybus systems in Germany. It's insane to think that this relatively tiny and less known city is way better transit wise than LA.

[@TCOphox]

Yeah that's what surprises me about Germany as a Southeast Asian. Seeing a train that arguably looks like a metro train serve both underground train stations, overground platform-level stations, tram stations, and either run as a train on its own tracks or goes on the road like a tram. NGL first time seeing it it felt like a fever dream.

[@elogy890]

I moved to Stuttgart about two years ago, and changing at Charlottenplatz still is an absolute nightmare since I always end up walking in the wrong direction initially.

[@alexanderlammers6980]

Yes, the city I live in.

[@mysterium368]

As a frequent visitor to Stuttgart, the Stadtbahn system is not that difficult to use.

[@CharlsonS]

The "U" was also supposed to separate the new Stadtbahn lines from the older tram network during the transition phase. The most notable thing is that Stuttgart is the only Stadtbahn city that managed to completely transition from the previous tram network, while also building the infrastructure that is necessary to make such a system work well, which means getting most necessary tunnels, dedicated row's and platforms built. Other cities like Hannover still lack critical tunnel infrastructure, or have have gotten themselves a non compatible low floor system for the sake of avoiding to build high platforms (e.g. Düsseldorf) or worse, who did both (Cologne). This dedication lead stuttgart to even getting tunnels built below outer villages and towns, so the Stadtbahn can avoid geographical constraints. The DT8 trains are also the absolute best in terms of comfort you can find on the tram/ Stadtbahn market. Not many vehicles can cope with some of the steep gradients in and around the the city.

[@markchorlton]

Great video! I work for the SSB in the Stuttgart Tram Museum (Straßenbahnmuseum) and found this a pretty good overview. I must take this opportunity to recommend our museum for learn8ng about the history of trams and the transition to light rail with lots of historic vehicles on display and heritage rides every Sunday. And soon there will be an English language audioguide to help those who dont read German!

[@urbanfile3861]

Stuttgart has one of the most interesting transit network in Europe, IMO. Because of its uniqueness.

[@magichulk]

Actually, next month, I'm starting to work as a transit model engineer and strategic planner for the SSB (planning and operating company of the U-lines and buses in Stuttgart). I'm originally from the metro area, but this video was a very neat summary and update of all the lines. So I enjoyed this video even more than the others. Thanks! :)

[@SmokeyBCN]

19:00

[@jobw]

Great video! Some corrections: