The thought of finding romance on a train from Washington D.C. to New York City—a trip I’ve made many times—strikes me as unlikely. Let’s face it: There’s nothing particularly romantic about Amtrak. But a chance meeting on a European train? On atmosphere alone, I’d give it much better odds. Two train-related events in Europe this fall are reviving the romantic image of rail travel, albeit with a 21st century spin. Reuters reports that German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has introduced speed-dating on an intercity line from Nuremberg to Munich, providing an upscale alternative to the usual pub meet-and-greet, complete with champagne and roses. 

And in London, the re-opening of Victorian-era St. Pancras Station next month is being hailed as a return to the glory days of British Rail. The renovated station—Eurostar’s new home base for trains to Paris--will hold the world’s longest champagne bar at 300 feet.

Romance was apparently very much on the minds of the St. Pancras architectural team. According to Reuters, “A nine-meter sculpture by artist Paul Day featuring a man and a woman whose heads are touching in an intimate embrace will grace the floor under the clock, forming a natural meeting point for those making a rendezvous at the station.”

The Queen is due to open the station Nov. 14. I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy; the outlook for U.S. train travel seems positively bleak by comparison.

Related on World Hum:
* Amtrak to Overnight Travelers: Drink Up!
* Flinn on the Lhasa Express: ‘I’d Give it a B-Minus’

Related on TravelChannel.com:
* Train Journeys: Romance and Honeymoon Vacation Ideas

Photo by Jon Curnow via Flickr (Creative Commons).