Dozens of rail routes launched in recent years are making it easier to journey across European country borders.
But a newly announced proposal from a Copenhagen-based think tank has a much more ambitious plan for the continent’s train connections.
21st Europe’s blueprint envisages a Europe-wide high-speed rail network that would function like a metro or tube system.
Named Starline, it hopes to reinvent the continent’s “fragmented, uneven, often slow” rail infrastructure and introduce ultra-fast connections to rival air travel.
“A truly integrated rail system is no longer just a matter of convenience; it’s a strategic necessity for Europe’s resilience in the 21st century,” the think tank states.
“Designed like a metro system, [Starline] changes how Europeans perceive their own continent – not as a collection of distant capitals, but as a single, fast-moving network where every connection, whether for people or goods, is within easy reach.”
21st Europe wants to see the network up and running this century – but how realistic is their vision?
Building a Europe-wide metro system
There’s no denying a Europe-wide rail system would be hugely popular with travellers.
“From the golden age of night trains to today’s 400,000+ Interrail users annually, the desire for open, accessible travel is clear,” the think tank says. “Yet, despite public demand, cross-border travel remains fragmented, slow, and expensive.”
Already in the works is the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), a European Union initiative which aims to unify infrastructure across the continent.
The new system will be an estimated 30 per cent faster than road and current rail travel with trains operating at 300-400 km/h. – 21st Europe
But 21st Europe says it lacks “ambition and design” not just in the passenger experience “where complex ticketing, inconsistent service, and outdated stations make rail feel fragmented”, but in the “missed opportunity to make rail a defining feature of Europe itself”.
The group sees a unified design as key to a cross-border network.
“Stations feel disconnected, trains vary wildly in design, and the journey itself is rarely considered as part of the experience,” it says of the current system.
“Other forms of transport, from Japanese bullet trains to Scandinavian airports, have shown that mobility can be both functional and iconic.”
Starline trains could link Helsinki to Berlin in 5 hours
21st Europe’s 22,000 kilometre Starline network seeks to connect 39 destinations in European countries – with lines reaching the UK, Turkey and Ukraine too.
The new system will be an estimated 30 per cent faster than road and current rail travel with trains operating at 300-400 km/h.
That means passengers could get from Helsinki to Berlin in just over five hours instead of the full-day journey it requires at the moment.
The carriages won’t be divided by classes but by spaces for different needs such as quiet zones for working and family-friendly sections. – 21st Europe
“Kyiv to Berlin, historically an overnight trip, becomes a predictable, seamless connection,” the think tank says. “Milan to Munich, a slow and winding route today, transforms into a high-frequency link between major economic centres.”
Starline trains will have easily recognisable deep blue livery. The carriages won’t be divided by classes but by spaces for different needs such as quiet zones for working and family-friendly sections.
The trains will arrive at new stations built just outside major cities with connections to existing urban transport systems.
21st Europe envisages these stations as cultural hubs that will have restaurants, shopping, and well-designed waiting areas as well as concert halls, museums, sports venues, and event spaces.
‘Europe’s best chance to meet 2050 net zero goals’
21st Europe sees Starline as an environmental project, too.
Transport is one of Europe’s biggest climate challenges. In 2022, the sector contributed approximately 29 per cent of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the European Environment Agency.
Related
Short-haul flights remain the default mode of transport for millions, despite high-speed rail emitting up to 90 per cent less CO2 per journey.
Countries like France and Austria have begun restricting short-haul flights where rail alternatives exist, but real impact “requires a continental approach”, the think tank says.
“A bold shift to high-speed rail might be Europe’s best chance to meet its 2050 net-zero goals while ensuring mobility remains both fast and green.”
A publicly-funded franchise model
So how will Starline become a reality? 21st Europe proposes “central coordination for trains, passenger experience, and technology while allowing national rail operators to run routes under a franchise model.”
It will be publicly funded and run by approved national rail companies, the think tank says, while being overseen by a new European Rail Authority (ERA) – a body within the EU framework responsible for ensuring the system’s coordination, interoperability, and long-term expansion.
The group sees a unified design as key to a cross-border network. – 21st Europe
To function as a European system, 21st Europe says Starline would require harmonised labour agreements, technical standards, and safety regulations.
“This means train operators, maintenance crews, and station staff would be trained under a shared European framework, ensuring operational consistency regardless of where they work.”
It is a highly ambitious proposal, but the think tank believes it can become a reality by the end of the century.
“Now, we begin building the network to push for real change, bringing together policymakers, designers, and industry leaders to turn vision into action,” it says.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that 21st Europe aims to have the network in operation by 2040.
