Starline high-speed rail proposal unveiled by 21st Europe brings fresh optimism for future travel
At a time when headlines are often dominated by delays, cuts, and fare increases, the unveiling of the Starline high-speed rail proposal offers something we rarely get in transport news – a sense of forward momentum and optimism.
Starline, launched by the newly formed think tank 21st Europe, presents a clear and thoughtful vision for how European cities might one day be connected through a unified rail network that works with the simplicity and ease of a metro. For a continent where rail infrastructure is often impressive but disconnected, the proposal feels like a well-timed shift in perspective.
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Rather than tearing everything up and starting again, Starline builds on what’s already in place. It sets out a plan for using existing and future high-speed rail lines to make journeys such as Berlin to Warsaw or Milan to Munich possible in under three hours. It also includes a new digital platform to simplify booking, replacing the confusing web of national systems with one straightforward, cross-border interface.
“The goal isn’t to build something entirely new,” said Kaave Pour, founder of 21st Europe. “It’s about joining up what already exists and making it clear, functional, and accessible for people.”
Pour, formerly of SPACE10, is working in partnership with creative technology studio Bakken & Bæck, whose influence is clear in the design-led approach. Starline trains are imagined in a deep blue finish for style and to create a sense of continuity and recognition across borders. It’s a practical idea rooted in public service, not corporate branding.
There’s something undeniably hopeful about Starline’s approach. Stations wouldn’t just be functional spaces but places where people can meet, attend events, or enjoy local culture, reflecting the role rail has historically played in European life, but reimagined for a new era.
And while this is still a blueprint, not a shovel-in-the-ground project, it sends a clear signal that infrastructure doesn’t have to be grey and soulless. It can be beautiful, efficient, and human-centred.
In the UK, where public transport often feels like a battleground, with cuts to HS2, strikes, and ageing infrastructure, this feels like a refreshing idea worth exploring. Starline doesn’t pretend to solve everything, but it reminds us that rail travel can be about more than getting from A to B. It can connect people, places, and public life in a meaningful way.
Across the world, other countries are also rethinking how we move. In Athens, the metro is expanding to ease road congestion. In Paris, the redesign of Issy-les-Moulineaux will bring housing and civic space to a key transport hub. And in China, MAD Architects have built a transport centre wrapped in greenery. However, Starline brings all these threads together, design, simplicity, and social value, into one joined-up framework.
“Europe doesn’t need more trains. It needs a vision,” Pour said at the launch.
And in a week when the news has been heavy, it’s a reminder that some good ideas still travel well.
For more updates on transport innovation, infrastructure, and public design and how these ideas could help shape the future here in the UK ,visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
[Image Credit: Starline 21st Century Europe]
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