Across Europe, rail travel is booming. Recent rail-related news includes Spain and Portugal getting a high-speed rail link, Italy taking a major step towards more sustainable tourism with its launch of vintage train routes, and Portugal launching a mega-cheap monthly rail pass. Now, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), Italy’s state-owned train operator, is itching to take advantage of the liberalisation of Europe’s railway network.

As one of the most major changes to European railways in recent years, the plan was to encourage competition between private and state railway operators across each other's borders, and make trains a better alternative to short-haul flying. It seems to have worked, as FS aims to create a high-speed rail link between Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Berlin, with plans to link Paris and Barcelona already underway.