The second golden age of rail: new fast trains will soon offer a genuine alternative to air travel

New high-speed rail links are set to dramatically cut the travel times for family trips across Britain and Europe High speed train High-speed rail networks are set to transform the country into a much smaller place. Photograph: Rob MacDougall Brought to you by: About this contentAbout this content Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ Shares 98 Save for later British Railways has been through many incarnations, from the glory days of the first locomotives to periods of stagnation and neglect, to today’s often overcrowded system dominated by the 1.3 billion commuter journeys made each year. Yet our railways are now on the verge of a dramatic change that could see families flocking back to them. High-speed rail networks are set to transform the country into a much smaller place. A visit to the grandparents will no longer require a lengthy and exhausting car journey on congested motorways. HS2 and beyond Under the government’s vision for the controversial High-speed 2 rail network – which is due to be finished by 2033 – a trip from London to Manchester will take a little over an hour while travelling to Leeds would take under an hour and a half. It will mean parents will be able to make daytrips from London to the vast plastic world of Manchester’s Lego Discovery Centre, for example, while those living in the north of the country will have attractions like the Natural History Museum and the Tower of London within reach. But the £42.6 billion project, if completed, will also bring the rest of Europe much closer for millions of people. It will connect up to Britain’s first high-speed rail link that already runs from London’s St Pancras station to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel at speeds of up to 186mph . It is already possible to take the children from London direct to Disneyland Paris in just two hours and 40 minutes or Amsterdam’s Royal Zoo in around five hours. Next stop: the Med in under seven hours From May this year, it started its direct route from London to Marseille which takes six and a half hours – meaning the children can be paddling in the waters of the Mediterranean by tea time. Eurostar is also planning direct trains to Amsterdam from late 2016. Thanks to the growing network of TGV rail services, it is now even possible to reach Barcelona from London in around 10 hours. It means you could have breakfast in London, lunch in Paris and dinner in Catalonia. New high-speed lines are opening up areas that could see trains – with their lower security checks, greater leg room and greater freedom to move around – replacing air travel to many areas. Other lines being planned across Europe for inauguration sometime between 2020 and 2025 promise to bring Rome’s Colosseum and Forum, with its rich history of Gladiators and Roman soldiers, within a few hours. The planned 900 mile Paris to Bratislava high-speed railway, due to be completed in 2020, will open up even more possibilities for families such as a tour around Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace – the grand playground of the former Austrian emperor Franz Joseph and his children – a swim in Budapest’s famous heated baths, or the chance to explore the underground caverns beneath Pest castle. Germany’s Bavarian Christmas markets could also soon become a few hours journey away as planned high-speed lines to Munich are expected to open up in the next ten to twenty years. Travel for travel’s sake But lets not forget the journey itself. Railway journeys have captivated children ever since they were created; it is no accident that JK Rowling chose to transport her boy wizard hero to Hogwarts by train in the Harry Potter novels. And whether in the imagination or on a real-life railway adventure, it seems that this form of transport will continue to captivate families for decades to come. For a quick getaway, take advantage of a single trip policy from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Insurance, underwritten by Cigna Europe Insurance Company S.A-N.V. It has excellent all-round cover including travel disruption cover on our standard option. There is also the option to add winter sports or golf cover for an additional cost. If you’re planning a few more trips, choose our annual multi-trip insurance, which allows you to take as many holidays as you like, up to 60 days per year. Terms and conditions apply.