Nearly 200 years ago, the train revolutionized our lives. It redrew the map of the land, changed our concepts of distance and time like no other invention before it. What visionaries imagined the development of the railroad? How did we get from the first chugging locomotives to the smooth giants of speed we see today? How does France’s extensive rail network keep running smoothly, 24/7?

Nearly 200 years ago, the train revolutionized our lives. It redrew the map of the land, changed our concepts of distance and time like no other invention before it. What visionaries imagined the development of the railroad? How did we get from the first chugging locomotives to the smooth giants of speed we see today? How does France’s extensive rail network keep running smoothly, 24/7?