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Swiss Alps tunnels to give European trains a speed boost
Can European trains, already among the world's speediest, get much faster? Well, yes, they can, starting Monday. That's when a 22-mile-long tunnel under the Swiss Alps opens for passenger traffic.
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel will cut travel times by more than an hour from the village of Zermatt to the cities of Bern, Basel and Zurich, and you'll be able to get from Bern to Milan, Italy, in less than three hours. Trains will go up to 124 mph. Information: Rail Europe, (888) 382-7245, www.raileurope.com.
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