Starline project: a “European metro” to revolutionize travel in Europe by 2040

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published yesterday

Photo : © Starline

Going to Budapest from Paris via the “Madrid-Istanbul” line, or to Athens from Lyon via the “Lisbon-Kyiv” line, as if you were taking the metro? It could soon be possible. With its 22,000 km of tracks, the Starline project aims to create a true European rail network - fast, seamless, and low-carbon - by 2040. What do we know about this project? How could it revolutionize rail travel in Europe? Is it realistic or downright utopian? And why should it be taken with a grain of salt? We'll explain everything.

The Starline project: a european metro on an XXL scale

A network that connects all of Europe (and beyond)

Imagine a train network that would connect 39 major European cities, as well as the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Ukraine, all on 22,000 kilometers of modern railway lines! That's the ambition of the Starline project, based in Copenhagen.

More than just a train: a unified vision of travel

Starline doesn't just want to add lines: it wants to reinvent the rail experience. In other words, this “metro of Europe” promises a unified train network across the continent: simple, clear, and seamless. In plain terms: goodbye to the hassle of booking on three different websites, trains that don't look the same from one country to another, and vague connections. Hello to the simplicity of booking on a common interface, with harmonized designs and a fluidity worthy of a continental RER (Regional Express Network).

Why Starline could revolutionize european rail

Faster and better-connected journeys

Do you find the train too slow compared to the plane? Starline trains would be up to 30% faster than current journeys, and truly competitive with the car or plane for medium distances.

Simplified connections between countries

The other revolution is the end of rail borders. No more juggling between multiple operators: the network would be coordinated by a single European Railway Authority (ERA). No more connection headaches. You get on a train in Barcelona, you get off in Krakow, without stress.

The planned timeline and operation

A project financed by Europe, managed by the states

Starline would be based on a franchise system: the lines would be operated by national operators (SNCF, Trenitalia, DB, etc.), but under centralized supervision. The idea? To have a hybrid, public-private model to maximize efficiency while ensuring common management.

Service Planned for 2040

We'll have to be patient before booking our tickets: the project is still in its early stages. But if all goes as planned, the first journeys could start as early as 2040. That's practically tomorrow, on the scale of European rail infrastructure.

In the meantime, we will be closely following this project that promises to put the train back at the center of European mobility, making journeys accessible, fast, and (hopefully) affordable...

A project with its Limits: an utopia on rails?

An ambitious project… but still very theoretical

While the project is already generating a lot of buzz, it should still be taken with a grain of salt: no construction has started yet, and no detailed schedule has been communicated. Driven by Starline Group, a private firm based in Copenhagen, the project has no official validation from the European Union. Bringing it to fruition will require a lot of political coordination.

In this context, announcing a launch for 2040 may seem very optimistic. Especially when we know that much more modest rail projects sometimes take decades to come to fruition…

Complex governance to implement

Creating a European Railway Authority to oversee 27 national transport systems is no small feat. Each country has its own standards, budgetary priorities, and territorial issues… Unifying the networks (rolling stock, signaling, ticketing) is a dream on paper, but it represents a colossal challenge.

Funding to be clarified

While the proposed economic model is based on national franchises supervised by Europe, to date, no concrete funding has been announced. However, we can imagine that the investment to build (or renovate) 22,000 km of tracks will be immense. Funding is therefore a question: Who will foot the bill? And how will costs and benefits be distributed among countries?

And what about the environmental impact?

This project, if it comes to fruition, will require significant investments and considerable works that will have an impact on the environment. Will it generate enough modal shift to truly help us achieve our climate goals.

Goodbye to Slow Travel?

Finally, we can wonder how the project will impact our travel experiences. As the many low-carbon travel enthusiasts who have spoken on our podcast have told us, appreciating the distance traveled and crossing borders is often an integral part of the journey. Going faster and erasing borders is appealing on paper. But by smoothing out the experience too much, do we risk losing some of the magic of travel?

In any case, the project has probably not finished making headlines. To be followed closely, then…