Supporting Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion was the main theme of a meeting between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron this weekend, but other issues also made it onto the agenda.

Rail fans will be delighted to hear that the two leaders wholeheartedly back plans to link the capital cities of their nations by high-speed rail, which would theoretically allow travellers to reach Berlin or Paris within seven hours.

Currently, high-speed travel requires a change at stations such as Cologne or Frankfurt, padding the journey time out to more than eight hours. By regular intercity trains, the trip can take more than eleven hours.

Flights between the two capitals take just under two hours, but with transfers to suburban airports and waiting times factored in a seven-hour rail journey verges on competitiveness, especially given the less stressful nature of high-speed travel.

Ticket price will obviously dictate how much...