Comment by guard-of-terra

"no-one wanted to be on a train for more than three hours" Why is it so?

People easily tolerate 3h on a plane, and trains are much more comfortable than planes (more space, free to roam).

And you don't have to get to airport, get from airport, check in, wait for baggage.

I would say 5 hours should be non-issue.

"As a rail enthusiast I would love to see trains to Berlin or Milan or even Moscow. But realistically that is many years away."

Remember there's already a direct train connection between Moscow and Paris.

Most people choose to fly these days, of course.