When the train (finally) starts thinking on a European scale

Europe boasts by far the densest rail network in the world, with heavyweights in the field like France and Germany. Yet, for the longest time, it has felt as though each country has been developing its network in isolation, with little to no connection to its neighbours. So much so that, with rare exceptions, we hardly ever consider taking the train to travel from one country to another. That’s if we even know where to find the information or how to go about booking tickets in the first place. But all that could be about to change…

21st Europe

Enter 21st Europe, a think tank and European project for a rail network dubbed Starline. The vision is to connect over 400 cities across the European Union, as well as the UK, Switzerland, and even Turkey, using high-speed trains routed through some forty hubs. The plan also includes linking major ports and airports, the traditional gateways to these countries.

Underpinning this ambition, for environmental reasons among others, is the clear desire to replace air travel with fast, affordable trains for journeys within Europe itself.

It’s a vast project, a vision that will naturally require pooling existing resources, from high-speed networks to the operators already running on the lines, to create over 20,000 km of dedicated tracks across the continent. The hope is to see it all come to fruition by 2040. One to watch, then…