Dozens of rail routes launched in recent years are making it easier to journey across European country borders.

But a newly announced proposal from a Copenhagen-based think tank has a much more ambitious plan for the continent’s train connections.

21st Europe’s blueprint envisages a Europe-wide high-speed rail network that would function like a metro or tube system.

Named Starline, it hopes to reinvent the continent’s “fragmented, uneven, often slow” rail infrastructure and introduce ultra-fast connections to rival air travel.

“A truly integrated rail system is no longer just a matter of convenience; it’s a strategic necessity for Europe’s resilience in the 21st century,” the think tank states.

“Designed like a metro system, [Starline] changes how Europeans perceive their own continent – not as a collection of distant capitals, but as a single, fast-moving network where every connection, whether for people or goods, is within easy reach.”

21st Europe is aiming to have the network running by 2040 – but how realistic is their vision?

Building a Europe-wide metro system

There’s no denying a Europe-wide rail system would be hugely popular with travellers.

“From the golden age of night trains to today’s 400,000+ Interrail users annually, the desire for open, accessible travel is clear,” the think tank says. “Yet, despite public demand, cross-border travel remains fragmented, slow, and expensive.”

Already in the works is the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), a European Union initiative which aims to unify infrastructure across the continent.

But 21st Europe says it lacks “ambition and design” not just in the passenger experience “where complex ticketing, inconsistent service, and outdated stations make rail feel fragmented”, but in the “missed opportunity to make rail a defining feature of Europe itself”.

The group sees a unified design as key to a cross-border network.

“Stations feel disconnected, trains vary wildly in design, and the journey itself is rarely considered as part of the experience,” it says of the current system.

“Other forms of transport, from Japanese bullet trains to Scandinavian airports, have shown that mobility can be both functional and iconic.”

Starline trains could link Helsinki to Berlin in 5 hours

21st Europe’s 22,000 kilometre Starline network seeks to connect 39 destinations in European countries – with lines reaching the UK, Turkey and Ukraine too.

The new system will be an estimated 30 per cent faster than road and current rail travel with trains operating at 300-400 km/h.

That means passengers could get from Helsinki to Berlin in just over five hours instead of the full-day journey it requires at the moment.

“Kyiv to Berlin, historically an overnight trip, becomes a predictable, seamless connection,” the think tank says. “Milan to Munich, a slow and winding route today, transforms into a high-frequency link between major economic centres.”

Starline trains will have easily recognisable deep blue livery. The carriages won’t be divided by classes but by spaces for different needs such as quiet zones for working and family-friendly sections.

The trains will arrive at new stations built just outside major cities with connections to existing urban transport systems.

21st Europe envisages these stations as cultural hubs that will have restaurants, shopping, and well-designed waiting areas as well as concert halls, museums, sports venues, and event spaces.

‘Europe’s best chance to meet 2050 net zero goals’

21st Europe sees Starline as an environmental project, too.

Transport is one of Europe’s biggest climate challenges. In 2022, the sector contributed approximately 29 per cent of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the European Environment Agency.

Short-haul flights remain the default mode of transport for millions, despite high-speed rail emitting up to 90 per cent less CO2 per journey.

Countries like France and Austria have begun restricting short-haul flights where rail alternatives exist, but real impact “requires a continental approach”, the think tank says.

“A bold shift to high-speed rail might be Europe’s best chance to meet its 2050 net-zero goals while ensuring mobility remains both fast and green.”

A publicly-funded franchise model

So how will Starline become a reality? 21st Europe proposes “central coordination for trains, passenger experience, and technology while allowing national rail operators to run routes under a franchise model.”

It will be publicly funded and run by approved national rail companies, the think tank says, while being overseen by a new European Rail Authority (ERA) – a body within the EU framework responsible for ensuring the system’s coordination, interoperability, and long-term expansion.

To function as a European system, 21st Europe says Starline would require harmonised labour agreements, technical standards, and safety regulations.

“This means train operators, maintenance crews, and station staff would be trained under a shared European framework, ensuring operational consistency regardless of where they work.”

It is a highly ambitious proposal, but the think tank believes it can become a reality by 2040.

“Now, we begin building the network to push for real change, bringing together policymakers, designers, and industry leaders to turn vision into action,” it says.

Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Prague and Venice. Soon, London could be added to the growing list of European cities charging a tax on tourists.

Speaking at one of London’s 10 annual Mayor’s Question Time assemblies this week, city mayor Sadiq Khan expressed support for a levy on visitors to the UK capital. Tourists “don’t really mind paying the extra few euros” to holiday elsewhere, he explained.

But while some cities across Europe have successfully implemented tourist taxes, their impact hasn’t always been straightforward. Some argue they are essential for maintaining tourism infrastructure, but others worry they could deter visitors in the long term.

Could a London tourist tax strike the right balance?

How much do tourist taxes generate – and where does the money go?

Across Europe, tourist taxes have become a popular source of fundraising for cities struggling to manage overtourism and pay for public services.

InBarcelona, for example, visitors currently pay up to €4 per night, on top of a regional tax. These hefty fees generate lots of money for the city – up to €100 million annually – which goes to maintaining infrastructure, improving public transport and preserving historic sites.

Paris charges visitors up to almost €16 a night to stay in its most expensive hotels, generating millions of euros each year to support cultural projects and urban upgrades.

If London follows suit, a levy could raise significant sums. Official estimates suggest a 5 per cent tax on overnight stays could generate nearly £240 million (€285 million) annually.

While no formal plans have been outlined, Khan has said that money would support the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“My promise to the hotels and AirBnbs and so forth is the money would be used to improve the environment around that, to encourage more tourists,” he said.

Could a London tourist tax hurt its hospitality sector?

As the fees continue to rise, critics have questioned their impact.

The Barcelona Hotel Association told local media in February that the ever-growing tax – in 2025, a stay in afive-star hotel could cost an extra €15 per night, plus VAT – amounted to the ‘fiscal asphyxiation’ of one of the city’s most important sectors.

Venice this year is set to double its tax on day-trippers and short-term visitors from €5 to €10. While the tax netted the city €2.2 million in 2024, officials noted it did little to dissuade the kind of tourism that has clogged the city’s public spaces and squeezed out locals.

Earlier this year, businesses acrossWales closed their doors on St David’s Day to protest a proposed tax. Opponents argued that it would make Wales less competitive at a time when tourism-dependent businesses were still recovering from pandemic losses.

In London, where hotel prices are already among the highest in Europe, the introduction of an additional charge could be a sticking point. With tourism hovering just above pre-pandemic levels – VisitBritain estimated 41.2 million inbound visits in 2024, up only 1 per cent from 2019 – some fear a tax could discourage budget-conscious travellers.

Tourism trade group UKHospitality told UK newspaper The Standard that additional taxes would be ‘extremely damaging.’

Will London join the ranks of tax-charging cities?

Last year in Europe was marked by a procession of anti-tourism protests. FromAmsterdam to the Canary Islands to Greece, locals took to the streets to voice frustrations over the ceaseless increase in visitors and the impact the industry has had on housing, healthcare and other public services.

Tourism taxes have yet to stem the tide of visitors, but they have generated millions for cities struggling to keep a lid on them. With major European destinations already cashing in on these taxes, London’s own levy may feel inevitable.

But whether it succeeds might depend on how it is framed – either as a necessary tool to support local infrastructure or as an unwelcome extra cost for travellers.

As the debate unfolds, one thing seems certain: the conversation around London’s tourism economy centres on more than an ‘extra few euros.’

A fire at an electrical substation in London has caused a power outage forcing Heathrow airport to shutter for a full day.

At least 1,350 flights will be be impacted, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar 24 — not including flights that might be cancelled or delayed due to aircrafts being out of position.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow” for the full day, the airport said, adding that it expects “significant disruption over the coming days.”

Passengers have been advised to not travel to the airport under any circumstances until it is reopened.

Scores of flights have been diverted to other airports and several, including United Airlines flights from the US, have been cancelled according to the airline.

Some flights arriving from the US to the airport were forced to turn around mid-air and return to their point of departure.

Qantas, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have all recorded disruption to their flight services as aircraft carriers were forced to quickly shuffle their planes and crews around as a result of the incident.

The power outage was sparked when a transformer within an electrical substation in west London caught fire.

The London Fire Brigade said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to the scene at 10.23 pm CET Thursday. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

The fire has also caused significant disruption to the surrounding area with power outages impacting more than 16,300 homes. The fire brigade said it received nearly 200 calls related to the incident and deployed crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southhall and surrounding areas on the scene.

Footage posted to social media showed huge flames and large plumes of smoke coming from the facility.

National Grid UK issued a statement saying the fire had damaged equipment, adding it was working at speed to “restore power supplies as quickly as possible.”

Heathrow has said the closure would last until midnight on Friday.