speed train began commercial service between Paris and Strasbourg on Sunday, nearly halving travel time between the two cities to 2 hours 20 minutes and linking the TGV network with Germany. The train made its maiden voyage with 360 passengers on board early Sunday, arriving on time and continuing on to the German city of Stuttgart, said Anne Premel, spokeswoman for the Strasbourg municipality. The line, on which the TGV broke its own world speed record for conventional rail trains in April when the bullet train reached 574.8 kilometers per hour (357 miles per hour), was inaugurated by Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Saturday. «Strasbourg just over two hours from Paris, that was a dream. The dream is now fulfilled,» he said. The previous fastest connection between the two cities took 4 hours. Trains on the new 406-kilometer (252-mile) line reaching Strasbourg via Reims, Metz and Nancy _ with the first 300 kilometers (186 miles) on dedicated high-speed tracks _ will travel at speeds of up to 320 kph (199 mph), compared to a maximum of 300 kph (186 mph) for current TGV trains. Different branches of the line will also cut travel time from Paris to several other European cities. The train to Frankfurt takes 3 hours 50 minutes and to Stuttgart, Germany, 3 hours 40 minutes. A trip to the Swiss city of Zurich takes 4 hours 30 minutes.
