The European Rail Revolution Is Underway

"Europe's fast trains are cutting into car travel, too. Before the high-speed Thalys train connecting Paris with Brussels was launched in the mid-1990s, 61% of travel between the two cities was by car and only 24% by train. Now, the Thalys has 50% of the market and cars only 43%, according to the International Union of Railways. That's not surprising, considering that driving from Paris to Brussels takes at least three hours. And taking into account highway tolls and Europe's $4-per-gallon gasoline prices, it costs about $40 each way to drive -- not that much less than a $63 one-way Thalys fare."