All aboard the future: Starline’s bold vision for a high-speed, united Europe

A Copenhagen-based think tank, 21st Europe, has unveiled Starline — a radical new blueprint for European transport that could revolutionise the way people and goods move across the continent.

Modelled on metro systems, Starline proposes a continent-wide high-speed rail network that connects 39 major cities, spanning from the UK to Turkey and Ukraine, with sleek, deep-blue trains gliding at 300–400 km/h.

“Starline is more than a high-speed rail network,” the think tank explains. “It’s a rethink of how design, technology, and culture can create infrastructure that is seamless, sustainable, and exciting.”

The vision includes reimagined stations as cultural hubs located outside city centres to avoid congestion, and interiors designed for experience rather than hierarchy — with quiet zones, family-friendly sections, and onboard cafés. Ticketing would be open and digital, while AI-driven security replaces queues with seamless, real-time monitoring.

Starline aims to address Europe’s fractured rail infrastructure, which remains “fragmented, slow, and expensive,” despite rising demand for climate-friendly alternatives. Currently, transport accounts for 29% of EU emissions, with short-haul flights still dominant. “A bold shift to high-speed rail might be Europe’s best chance to meet its 2050 net-zero goals,” argues 21st Europe.