Railways are the arteries that keep Europe’s heart beating

Travelling by rail in Europe reminded me of what I knew, but had forgotten.

Over centuries along rivers, and from the 19th century by rail, a shared culture was developed, and eventually a common market. It is not just the logistics of transport, though they are extraordinary. It is the overlap of peoples, culture, and commerce. In six days, and travelling slowly, I have been in the high Alps, the juncture of the Rhine between three countries, at Basel, and, as I write, in Maastricht.