This paper provides the background, methodology and validation for constructing a representation of the European high-voltage grid (AC lines from 220 to 750 kV and all DC lines) based on OpenStreetMap data. Grid components include commissioned substations, transmission lines and cables, transformers, and converters as well as technical parameters based on standard types. The data is provided as easy-to-access comma-separated values files which makes it suitable for model-independent, large-scale electricity and energy system modelling. For further ease-of-use, an interactive map is included to enable visual inspection. To assess the data quality, this paper compares the dataset with official statistics and representative model runs using PyPSA-Eur based on different electricity grid representations. The dataset and workflow are provided as part of PyPSA-Eur, an open-source, sector-coupled optimisation model of the European energy system. By integrating with the codebase for initiatives such as PyPSA-Earth, the benefits of this work of this work extend to the global context. The dataset is published under the Open Data Commons Open Database (ODbL 1.0) licence.