Eurostar, which owns the high-speed train connection from the UK to other European parts, announces to cooperate with Germany's Deutsche Bahn from 2013 onwards. On Friday, the English High Court rejected a French company’s request to block the planned cooperation.

A European network of high-speed train connections shall result from the cooperation between former railway competitors Germany and the UK, with new routes to major cities like Frankfurt, Cologne or Amsterdam.

Director of communication, Ben Ruse, points out: "The expanding high-speed rail network across Europe is a hugely exciting prospect and is going to redefine travel now as we move forward. Already high-speed rail in Europe has made a huge impact. Lines are opening all over the place, between Madrid and Barcelona, in Holland, in Belgium, in Germany and in France."

Business travelers might choose the well-equipped trains with internet reception and short waiting periods over plain or car travelling.

Nevertheless, shared international train routes will also encompass a greater fragmentation of train services and booking systems as international travelers might need to book tickets from several different operators and switch trains in the different countries.

Railway giant Deutsche Bahn aims to further expand its network all over Europe in the future.