IN her letter (March 7), Jacqueline Cotter rightly criticises the cost to the Irish taxpayer of €8,000 for Martin Cullen’s helicopter trip to Kerry.

Richard Collins explores the idyllic vineyards of the Languedoc.

The TGV high-speed train began commercial service between Paris and Strasbourg today, nearly halving travel time between the two cities to 2 hours 20 minutes and linking the TGV network with Germany.

FRANCE’S TGV train smashed the world rail-speed record yesterday, providing an important image boost for the country’s industry in an increasingly competitive world market.

“IT was a close one!”

French union leaders said they were satisfied with concessions offered by the national rail operator SNCF, raising hopes for an end to a strike that disrupted train services today.

France suffered a “Black Tuesday” of one-day strikes against the government’s economic and labour policies, with widespread travel disruptions, schools closed, flights cancelled and exchanges of stones and tear gas grenades between demonstrators and police.

Chinese and German engineers are rushing to prepare the world’s first ‘floating’ train for a debut run around New Year’s Day.