Try GOLD - Free
'Single timetable' European rail network plans revealed
The Independent
|March 27, 2025
Plans to connect 39 European stations by a high-speed rail network have been revealed, with lines linking the UK, Ukraine, Turkey and Portugal.
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. Unveiled at 21st Europe's first summit in Barcelona, the Starline plans involve 22,000km of high-speed rail, connecting 39 stations across the continent at estimated speeds of between 186mph and 249mph.
Designed in collaboration with studio Bakken & Back, the blue trains will be designed after the EU flag, with stars along the sides of the carriages. Train interiors will include quiet zones for focus, comfortable seating, cafes and family-friendly areas.
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”. Connecting cities such as Kyiv, Bucharest and Sofia into a continental network, Starline aims to put Eastern Europe on the high-speed map.
This story is from the March 27, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Independent
The Independent
This nation of meat lovers doesn't need a £600 steak
With the UK arm reporting a £5.5m loss and US branches shut, Hannah Twiggs asks what Salt Bae's downfall reveals about the end of food as flex - and the rise of quiet luxury
5 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
'Life's too short: go for what it is you secretly long to do'
Alex Kingston sits down with Helen Coffey to talk 'Strictly', recovery from uterine cancer, repping for superwomen over 60, and resisting getting embroiled in social media drama
8 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
Macron reappoints Lecornu as PM days after resignation
French president Emmanuel Macron has reappointed Sebastien Lecornu as the country's prime minister, just days after he offered his resignation.
3 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
‘To be a rebel today is to try and bring people together’
Former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft's Oasis-tinged summer is being followed by a new solo album and arena tour of his own. Time to bury the hatchet with Mark Beaumont and reflect on his extraordinary, rebellious career so far
8 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
‘So many are missing work just to see the car go past’
Manchester was united in blue as it paid tribute to a favourite son. Alex Pattle reports on a stirring farewell that proved Ricky Hatton was treasured even more as a man than a boxer
3 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
Melania ‘in talks’ with Putin over war-displaced children
The US first lady has 'an open channel of communication' regarding Ukrainian children being held captive by Moscow
3 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
Migrant guilty of threats to kill Farage in TikTok video
An Afghan migrant who came over to the UK via small boats was found guilty yesterday of making threats to kill Nigel Farage on TikTok.
3 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
Cooper says she was unable to prosecute China 'spies'
Yvette Cooper has claimed that she wanted alleged Chinese spies prosecuted when she was home secretary, but that her hands were tied.
4 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
When the celebrations end, Netanyahu faces reckoning
The scene in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, on Thursday afternoon was one of nervous relief rather than joy.
3 mins
October 11, 2025
The Independent
We should not be surprised if gigantic AI bubble bursts
Some 25 years ago, I was shown round a “dotcom incubator”.
4 mins
October 11, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size