PalQ

One of the first places from Paris' Gare de l'Est to offer TGV services in anticipation of the 2007 opening of the LGV Est High Speed line are TGVs that were supposed to start service in June 2006 to Luxembourg, at normal speeds of course until the new high-speed line is fully opened. Five of the daily six Paris-Luxembourg trains will now be serviced by refurbished TGV Reseau stock - except the first train from Luxemoburg and last to return, which will continue with Corail stock. A reason for the current launching is to make train staff familiar with TGV running before the 2007 opening of the LGV Est.
So add Luxembourg to the number of countries now with TGV service (in addition to France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and the U.K. (Eurostars are TGV train sets.)

BTilke

Any news on when the ICE line from Frankfurt airport direct to Paris will get going? I thought it was supposed to be last year, but you still have to switch from the ICE to the Thalys when you get to Brussels. It was supposed to be a 5 hour ride from FRA to Paris Gare du Nord. You can catch an ICE from FRA to Vienna (a long ride, but comfortable and scenic and it has a full service dining car); unfortunately it doesn't run at TGV speeds in Austria, looking forward to when they put in high speed tracks.

What are the stops on the Paris-Lux TGV line?

PalQ

Not sure about ICE - I've read that the ICE was a disaster in trials when running on French tracks for some reason and that is probably why it's on hold. So-called technical problems.
As for Luxemburg TGV trajectory - currently i'm sure it's running on the classic line as old trains did and do.
Last Dec i road a train from Frankfurt to Paris and saw the new LGV Est line near Metz and a spur line i think just west of there was being built to Luxembourg - as with new TGV lines there won't be that many stops and new stations are well outside of towns. In fact French passengers were discussing the new Metz-TGV station being a few miles out of town and lamenting the fact. Apparently there will only be shuttle buses into the town center. So i'm not exactly sure right now of the stops to Luxembourg but the line diverges off the LGV Est near Metz i believe.

PalQ

BTike (you'll always be BTike to me!)
Yes read more about ICEs from Germany to Paris - tests on French tracks were a disaster as ICE trains threw up too much ballast from the tracks for some reason, damaging the under carriages.
But besides this the SNCF has been reluctant to give them permission to run the Brussels-Paris portion - i guess to protect the Thalys trains that are largely owned by SNCF and Belgian and (perhaps, not sure) Dutch railways. Talks about selling a share to Deutsche Bahn are a possible solution, giving them a stake in Thalys.
But on the new LGV Est high-speed route Paris-Germany ICEs apparently will be given permission to run into Paris and TGVs into Germany - this Frankfurt-Paris route will be faster than the Frankfurt-Koln-Brussels route that could have seen thru ICEs for several years if SNCF didn't balk.
Hopefully the balast problem is solved on the new LGV Est line.
Well this is my take on the question about ICEs you raise and i've gotten my info from the UK train mags i subscribe to which are very accurate usually.

Christina

I wondered when they were going to finally finish this, it was always a real gap in their rail network.

I have an old map on its plans, and it was supposed to have stops in Reims and Strasbourg, eventually. Reims isn't so important as it's not that far from Paris, but high speed to Strasbourg will be nice. The first section opening only goes to around Metz, though (south of it a bit), so the final Strasbourg connection opening date is unknown.

BTilke

Thanks for the info about the ICE to Paris problems, I wasn't aware of those. I wish they would hurry up and get some high speed tracks laid down in Austria, too. The ICE train I catch in Cologne to Vienna goes along a very pretty route in Austria, but only at regular speed. Also, I wish they'd use the trains with the cloth covered seats on those long journeys. In Feb. on that ICE route (in first class), the cloth seats were SOOO comfortable, it was almost like riding a Lazy Boy. The ride back was in the stiff leather (or leatherette) seats, not nearly as comfortable.