In France, rail operator SNCF is preparing for increased competition by launching the first ever low-cost, high speed train.

CNN: Can Europe get its high-speed rail network together?

The craft is meant to speed off a runway and accelerate gracefully into orbit in a single blast, perform a task like launching a satellite and then glide back home to its hangar.

BBC: Skylon: A British dream of space

Magnetic levitation technology, which currently powers high speed trains in places like Japan and Europe, could potentially be used to build a railroad capable of launching material into space, according to a report by Gizmag.

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