Plans to Link Europe by Huge New High-Speed Train Network
- Editor OGN Daily
- Apr 1
- 1 min read
Plans to connect 39 European stations by a high-speed rail network have been revealed.
Starline, a blueprint by the Copenhagen-based think tank 21st Europe, proposes a new European high-speed rail network to “make the continent feel whole again” by 2040. It involves 13,700 miles (22,000km) of high-speed rail, connecting 39 stations across the continent at estimated speeds of between 186mph and 249mph.
Crucially, the network would be built on existing infrastructure with a fleet of trains crossing borders on five lines that run on a single timetable as “one seamless system” and not “limited by political borders”. It will include Eastern Europe on the high-speed map.
According to the think tank, “cross-border travel remains fragmented, slow, and expensive” and current plans lack “speed and ambition”. It says the new European rail network could ease demand on low-cost airlines by offering affordable and more sustainable journeys between capitals. Indeed, the report says that its plans for the high-speed service are the “best chance” for Europe to meet its 2050 net zero goals, cutting short-haul flights by up to whopping 80 percent.
The publicly funded, privately operated system would be powered by renewable sources rather than relying on national grids and overseen by a new European Rail Authority (Era).
“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,” said 21st Europe.
