SNCF TO MOVE TO 'YIELD MANAGEMNT'
The SNCF, French railways, says that some InterCity and Corail trains will soon, like high-speed TGV trains, will also require reservations as the SNCF moves towards the 'yield management' policy that thru obligatory reservations lets the rail line manage better empty seats - no more of those nearly empty carriages you used to see often being shunted around - discounted advance tickets, on-line PREM fares and obligatory reservations means relatively few walk up passengers and better matching of the number of seats needed on each train to the actual number of passengers who will be actually using them on that train. A striking thing about train travel in France is that more and more fuller trains than formerly - in first class on non-TGV trains you still often find many empty seats but second class can often be very crowded. Reservations are advised on long-distance trains whether they are mandated or not. Reservations cost 3 euros when done in France - if buying tickets there may be a global price for the ticket and reservation - such as the case with PREM fares. PREM fares are available at www.voyages-sncf.com and can be booked i think up to 60 days in advance.

BRUSSELS-AMSTERDAM HIGH-SPEED LINE
Due to open in 2007, the new high-speed line between Antwerpen and Amsterdam is largely in place, though a few years of testing and infrasture remain - though much of the line is done, as passengers along the classic line can attest to (the new line often parallels the old mainline) but there are difficult gaps that remain to be finalized. In Holland there is a spirited debate over service to be put into operation on the new high-speed line - notably the decision by the Dutch not to run high-speed 'sprinter' trains as frequently as some would like over the new line. But for Paris-Amsterdam travellers a new transit time of about 3.5 hours may compete favorably with air travel.

FRENCH LGV LINE
The all-new high-speed line from Paris to Strasbourg and Germany is nearing completion in terms of infrastructure - rails have been laid and overhead wires put up on much of the route - testing however will last for months and some key portions are not done - but soon another TGV line will blast folks out from Paris. A new Chapagne station outside Reims is typical of new TGV stations well outside of towns.

HIGH-SPEED TRAINS ALL OVER SPAIN!
Whereas it once was said the the 'pain in Spain is mainly on the train,' all this is changing quickly as Spain's RENFE national railways is embracing new high-speed train lines with mucho gusto. By 2020 the following lines (with 280-350 km/hr running) are scheduled to be in service:
Madrid-Barcelona
Madrid-Santiago de la Compestella
Madrid-Valencia
these will form the major high-speed axis, along with the currently in use Madrid-Seville AVE line.
From these five main high-speed lines high-speed spur lines will be created:
Cordoba-Malaga
Motilla del Palancar-Albacete
Olmedo-Valladolid
O Carballino-Pontevedra
Granada-Utrera
Malaga-Algeciras
(It's been said that Andalucia has a lot of new lines because the Transport Minister hails from there!)
Plus the line currently under constuction to Perpignan in France, utilizing a long tunnel under the Pyrenees will tie the new lines, built to standard gauge used throughout most of Europe so that they can offer thru trains - probably night trains - to other European countries.
So soon the pain in Spain will not be mainly on the plain, but the train may actually beat the plane!

Stockholm-Oslo Night Trains Reinstated
As of June 2005 this night train, which had been scubbed, was reinstated to a regular schedule - running nightly except for Sat and Sun - the new route goes via Goteborg - a longer route than the previous more direct trajectory via Karlstad - the reason for this is that an Oslo-Malmo night train - which splits off at Goteborg can be accommodated.