European rail travel is fighting back against the boom in low-cost airlines with the opening of several new high-speed lines across the continent. Air travel also has a number of disadvantages to trains including a greater environmental impact, more security measures in the wake of terror threats, and long check-in times. Additionally many budget airlines fly into out-of-the-way aiports, whereas trains take passengers straight into city centres.
New high-speed lines opening soon include:
- The TGV-east line, which opens in June, will slash the journey time between Paris and Strasbourg from the current 4 hours to around 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- Also opening in June, a 21-mile long tunnel under the Swiss Alps will cut journey times between northern Italy and Germany by around 50 percent.
- In Spain, Madrid and Barcelona will be just 2 hours and 30 minutes apart when a new 375-mile line opens next year.
- Amsterdam will be around 3 hours from Paris and about 90 minutes from Brussels when Holland’s long-awaited high-speed line becomes fully operational in mid-2008.
- This November the new rail link between London and the Channel tunnel will finally open, cutting times from London to Paris to just over two hours. The Eurostar terminus will also be moved from Waterloo to St Pancras resulting in better rail links with the rest of the UK.
Original post by Andy Pettefer and software by Elliott Back