ETR 500 Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) by Sky via Wikimedia Commons

Italy has opened a second short segment of the planned high-speed rail line between Milan and Venice. Now, the first 40 miles or so eastward from Milan to Brescia will allow speeds up to 186 miles per hour, but trains have to slow down to somewhere around 100 mph for the remainder of the trip to Venice. Plans call for the start of construction on the next segment, from Brescia to Verona, to start in 2017.

— Ed Perkins, editor

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