I booked a $14 standard-class seat on one of Europe's fastest trains, Italy's Frecciarossa ETR 500. The train reached speeds of almost 300 kph and got me from Milan to Turin in under an hour ...

Right now, Italy is Europe’s cutting-edge country when it comes to high-speed trains. It not only has two versions, but they’re competing in a socialist-capitalist drama. In one corner is ...