The whistle shrieks. A plume of steam billows. This is Korntal station. Not just any station. This is where history and progress meet.
Korntal station opened on September 23 1868. It was the sole stop between Zuffenhausen and Ditzingen. A vital link on the Wurttemberg Black Forest Railway. Imagine the excitement. The clatter of wheels on tracks a new era unfolding. For the 600 inhabitants of the Evangelical United Brethren community in Kornthal this meant connection to the world.
Before the railway arrived life was different. The community was small. Many residents worked elsewhere. The Zuffenhausen station on the Wurttemberg Central Railway opened in 1846. This offered some convenience. But the new railway line changed everything. It wasn’t a given that Korntal would get a station. Larger communities lobbied for the honor. Korntal’s persistence paid off. Its red sandstone entrance building a testament to this victory. It still stands today.
The station’s name even changed with the times. In 1904 the spelling of ‘thal’ (valley) was changed to ‘tal’. The name briefly became Korntal-Weil im Dorf reflecting the combined communities it served. A single station linking villages.
Korntal station became even more important in 1906. The Wurttemberg Railway Company extended its Strohgäu branch line here. This branch line connects Korntal to Weissach. The original two-story red sandstone building remained a landmark.
Passenger numbers dipped after 1926. The Feuerbach Municipal Tramway opened. This offered an easier route for some commuters. The station name simplified to Korntal.
Then came the Second World War. Afterwards Korntal blossomed. It evolved into a thriving residential area for Stuttgart. It received city status on June 30 1958 boasting a population exceeding 8000. The station played a key role in this growth.
Professor Walter Lambert proposed an S-Bahn network for Stuttgart in 1962. Korntal station became a vital part of this system. Line S 6 launched in 1978. The Strohgäu Railway despite passenger number struggles continues to operate. Investments from the Ludwigsburg and Böblingen districts secured its future.
Today Korntal station remains a busy hub. S-Bahn lines S 6 and S 60 serve it. The Wurttemberg Railway Company’s trains also stop here. This little station connects people. It connects past and present. It embodies Korntal’s journey. A journey from a small community to a vibrant suburb of Stuttgart. A journey inextricably linked to the rhythm of the railway. A journey you can still feel today.