hetismij

As far as I understand it the tracks from the Dutch border to Rotterdam are yet to be fully tested at high speed. Until that is completed no trains can travel over them. The line from Amsterdam to Rotterdam is in use for high speed trains, and will be accepting passengers soon, probably early 2009, using Traxx trains until the Italians pull their finger out and deliver the really high speed trains.
There are no plans yet for the rest of the line - they are waiting for the engines from Italy so they can test the lines at high enough speeds I believe. They can't use Thalys trains for this - there aren't enough to spare one, and they are no exclusively owned by NS.
Until they are fully tested at speed and certified no passenger trains may use the lines, reasonably enough. It is more to do with the safety system than anything. It is more complicated here because of the cross border work, and the fact that it meets existing track.
I am not sure but I think there is also a hold up on the Belgian side between Brussels and the Border.
Only 85 of the total 125 Km within the Netherlands will be high speed line anyway, due to the vast conurbation it must travel through. When it is up and running you wll be able to get from Schiphol to Rotterdam in just 26 minutes.

PalenQ

I have not heard that the portion that will burrow under Antwerp and make Antwerpen Centraal now a Thalys stop - that that underground portion is finished - Antwerpen Centraal where no longer be a terminus but just another station between Paris and Amsterdam C.S.

artstuff

Thanks, hetismij and PalenQ, for the info.

My husband and I are taking a friend with us on our next trip to Europe, hopefully in October 2009. One of our friend's requests was to travel on some high speed rail lines.

We'd like to take the Thalys from Amsterdam to Antwerp, then on to Brussels. From there we'll take the TGV to Marseille. After spending several days in the South of France, we'll take the TGV from Avignon back north to Paris for a few nights, and end our trip with the Thalys back to Amsterdam. We're really hoping that most of the journey will be high-speed rail by October.

I certainly would appreciate it if you would please keep me posted on any new developments.

Thanks,
Robyn >-

PalenQ

Robyn - if the high-speed lines in Holland are not open by then, taking the Thalys will not be high-speed as it goes over old tracks at conventional speeds. Hopefully the line will finally be operating by then. But i would think that, due to the very congested area it goes thru, that true top speeds of nearly 200 may not be realized on this stretch as they are on the Brussels-Marselliles TGVs and other French TGVs.

I'm not sure but perhaps they will be running Thalys in Holland at 185 mph or so but hard for me to imagine it.

And for doing that type of train travel i would certainly investigate the Benelux-France railpass - though for Thalys you do have to pay a supplement of about $15-20 but on TGV lines just the mandatory 3 euro reservation fees. the pass has same benefits as a Eurailpass but is only valid in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. (www.ricksteves.com and www.budgetopetravel.com for lots of info on trains in these countries as well as the usual pass prices.)

hetismij

It is hoped that the Thalys will travel at speed through the Netherlands from mid 2009. It will travel at speeds of 250-300km/hour for part of that journey, but obviously between Amsterdam and Schiphol it will be slower, and possibly between Amsterdam and Rotterdam it will only go at 160-250km/hour.
When I know more I will post it on Fodors for you Robyn.

artstuff

Thank you for your offer, hetismij. I would certainly appreciate it if you would post any updates to this thread. Have a good day.

Robyn >-

kybourbon

I've noticed the new schedules on Trenitalia have changed the train logo for some routes from separtate AV or ES to a combo logo of the two. The Milan/Florence train is listed as taking about 2:10.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

PalenQ

Milan-florence now has the newest of the high-speed ETR engines and thus, like when Rome-Naples opened and those then newest ETR engines were labeled AV - they probably want to differentiate between the older ETR trains and the newer ones by a new nomenclature. Maybe?

kybourbon

Maybe, but I've taken what is supposed to be AV between Naples/Rome and the train was actually an ES.