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Europe is in the midst of a rail renaissance (Picture: Getty Images) Renewed interest in train travel has sparked a ‘rail renaissance’ across the UK and Europe, as a growing number of travellers choose interrailing and Eurostar jaunts over long-haul flights. We recently rounded up the best new British train journeys, and there are plenty of exciting routes coming to Europe, too. From a sleeper train connecting 100 cities to a £40 service linking five countries, 2026 is set to be a huge year for train tourism. Here’s a look at the best of what’s to come. The ‘European Tube’ We’ve heard tell of the ‘Welsh Tube,’ now comes the European version — and it’s a game-changer for sustainable travel. 21st Europe’s ‘Starline’ network plans to connect 39 destinations in European countries, with lines reaching the UK, Turkey and Ukraine. The Copenhagen-based thinktank envisages a Europe-wide rail network that would function like a metro or Tube system. Its ambitions include slicing emissions by 95% by replacing short-haul flights with high-speed trains. @dw_planeta Starline is an idea for a fully integrated, high-speed rail network that connects all of Europe. #train #traintravel #europe #transport #planeta ♬ Documentary/News/Information BGM(1402406) – Lyrebirds music There are plans for five main routes, including from Helsinki in Finland to Berlin in Germany. Currently, this journey takes one full day. Starline aims to slash it to three hours. The goal is for the core trains to be travelling at 100 miles per hour — or even faster — by 2040. Not quite 2026, but worth the wait. The Eurostar rival that wants trains to eastern Europe Industry newcomer Gemini Trains is planning to launch a Eurostar rival in partnership with Uber. The start-up plans to make Stratford International its gateway to the continent and challenge the Eurostar monopoly on the Channel Tunnel from as early as 2029. Gemini also wants to add Cologne to the list of cities it will serve (Picture: Getty Images) The company plans to launch services from Stratford to Paris, Lille and Brussels, and then to expand to Cologne, the gateway to Germany and eastern Europe. A direct train from Switzerland to Sweden A direct night train from Basel in Switzerland, to Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden is set to launch towards the end of spring 2026. The EuroNight train, for which the Swiss parliament has yet to approve a budget, is due to run three times a week from April 15, 2026. While night trains are a popular way to travel across the continent, they are very rarely profitable due to high running costs. Tickets are expected to go on sale on November 4, 2025. New train journey links seven European cities — and it costs £99 for a 21-hour trip The European Sleeper is a new train service linking seven European cities over 15 stops. The route will run from Brussels to Venice, stopping along the way in cities such as Eindhoven, Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck and Verona. The new European Sleeper is set to stop in romantic Verona (Picture: Getty Images) Created to provide a sustainable travel option between the cities, it’s also a unique opportunity to see a myriad of different cultures in one trip. From the iconic canals of Venice to Oktoberfest in Munich, some might say it’s the European interailing experience. The inaugural journey left the station on February 5. Tickets don’t break the bank, either. The cheapest tickets come in at £99 (€119) for a 21-hour trip (just over £4.70 per hour). Popular European train routes cancelled for good Granted, this doesn’t actually count as a new route. It’s more of a reminder to book your trip before it’s too late. Austrian national rail company ÖBB confirmed that two of its sleeper services will cease to run in the new year. The Austrian rail company is sadly stopping the popular route (Picture: Getty Images) The night trains between Vienna and Paris, and Berlin and Paris, will be making their final calls on December 14. However, there’s still time to bag tickets online, starting at €79.90 on the Vienna-Paris route (£69.58) for a standard seat, and €99.90 (£87.00) for a bed inside a couchette carriage. The removal of the routes was due to the cancellation of government subsidies in France from 2026. Travel beyond the headlines Hi, I’m Alice Murphy, Metro’s consultant travel editor. If you love reading about affordable city breaks, lesser-known destinations and how travel changes us for the better, you’re in the right place. Alice has visited over 50 countries Our weekly newsletter brings you everything from holiday inspiration to the latest travel news and hot takes. Sign up now – and get in touch if you have a story. I want to hear it! ‘Ambitious’ new sleeper train will connect 100 European cities — with private rooms from £67 Nox, a Berlin-based startup, are creating an alternative European travel option — another sleeper train that’s expected to cost the same price as a plane ticket. The company aims to connect popular cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, Warsaw, Frankfurt and Brussels. Should the plans go ahead, passengers can choose between single and double private rooms, starting at £67 (€79) and £127 (€149), respectively. By the looks of social media, Nox already have plenty of future customers. ‘Shut up and take my money!’ one person said, while another referenced the ÖBB closure. @noxmobility You guys had a LOT of questions when we launched Nox 🚀 — and one of the most popular ones was about our route network: Why are we going here and not there? 👀 (We heard you loud and clear about London, Lisbon, and more! 🌍🚆) Here’s everything you need to know about our routes! 🗺️ And of course, feel free to explore more on our website 👉 http://www.noxmobility.com #noxmobility #trains #europe #bahn #nox #sleepingtrain #overnighttrains #nighttrains #nachtzug #sleepertrain #paris #barcelona #london #berlin #copenhagen #stockholm #oslo #hamburg #zurich #milan #rome #vienna #budapest #warsaw #frankfurt #fyp ♬ son original – Nox ‘That’s brilliant, particularly now that the OBB NightJet Brussels to Berlin remains suspended.’ Nox wants to launch the first route by 2027. However, the overall goal is to connect over 100 European cities by 2035. New £40 train spanning 745 miles across five European countries launches today The Warsaw to Rijeka sleeper train is already on the ground and running (albeit taking a short rest currently). Starting in the Polish capital — and being the first to span five European countries — the route ends in Rijeka, a Croatian coastal city known for glistening beaches, waterfalls, and 13th-century castles. It covers 745 miles and passes through notable cities such as Opoczno, Katowice, Rybnik, Chałupki, Vienna, Ljubljana, Postojna, and Opatija. Metro announced the sleeper train on the day of its maiden voyage: June 27. From then, services ran four times a week until the end of August, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The seasonal service will pick up again next June. Tickets are affordable, with prices starting around 200 Polish złoty (£39.53). 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