The last time the main train station in Stuttgart was seen so deserted was at the beginning of the corona pandemic. The big day of the strike created unusual images in the otherwise bustling place.
On the big day of the strike on Monday, Stuttgart Central Station gave you a small foretaste of what it will be like on the existing platforms once the new station is finished: no trains, no people – except for those who went on strike and those who ensure security. Even on days with no trains or people.
Monday was a healthy day for the train station pigeons. Finally no greasy fries leftovers that you have to scrape off the floor, finally no often much too large leftovers from baguettes that are much too large and that first have to be painstakingly broken up. No trains they constantly have to avoid in search of food. No people who are in a hurry and sometimes overlook the pigeons on the floor.
Shops are all open
For the employees in the partly open coffee, burger and other snack kiosks on the empty platforms, Monday was stress-free, but it wasn’t quite as good. An employee at a bakery stand has been on shift since 5.30 a.m., the display is filled to the last centimeter with sandwiches and baguettes, panini and croissants, in a way that is rarely seen on normal days. Only the customers are missing. And with it the tip. Nevertheless, the burger stand remains open until 11 p.m.
Security staff, kiosk employees and pigeons have to endure a bit of noise for a moment. A group of members of the railway union EVG stands at the entrance to the financial district with horns and whistles in safety vests and loud. From there, their small demonstration train starts, once along the transverse platform in the direction of the Schlossgarten exit and back again. Blustering and chanting. But practically without any audience.
Isolated announcements to nothing
The scoreboards remained largely blank, except to indicate that rail services are suspended today. Sometimes, however, isolated announcements echo over the platforms: “The Mex19 from Gaildorf-West is canceled today. The reason for this is the strike action. We ask for apology.” The Mex18 to Osterburken will also be canceled in this way. However, the announcer did not find any interested listeners today. Apart from one or two people with cameras who came especially to capture the very special atmosphere of trainless and deserted platforms. After all, the opportunity doesn’t come around that often.