We’re a big fan of public transport networks at , and an exciting new development is set to change the game across Europe when it comes to getting around.
The idea for a brand-new network of high-speed, metro-style trains dubbed the ‘tube for Europe’ is floating around, and according to plans, every European country will have at least one station – that means routes could extend as far as Türkiye and the UK.
It’s called Starline, and it promises speeds of 250mph, which could mean those painfully long journeys will be cut down drastically. Alongside those speeds, Starline is promising purpose-built stations outside major cities which will double as landmarks – think concert halls, event spaces and museums. Sounds a little more interesting than a regular bunch of platforms, right?
The trains themselves will be bright blue (the same as the EU flag), and won’t have class divisions, but will offer quiet spaces and cafés. Security for the trains will be AI-driven and based on sensors using biometric verification and ‘automated threat detection’.
In a press release about Starline, 21st Europe estimates that the network will decrease short-haul flights by an impressive 80 percent, and offer travel 30 percent faster than cars and traditional rail services.
As for booking your place, the network plans to operate on a unified ticketing system, ‘allowing multiple travel providers, digital services, and third-party platforms to integrate directly’.
But Starline’s ambitious plans aren’t just to make passengers’ lives easier – it also plans to shake up the transportation of long-haul freight across Europe, with medical supplies, fresh produce and manufacturing goods moving between places in record time.
While all this is still a long, long way off, it sounds pretty darn cool, right? Below are some impressions of what the trains and network might look like.
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