Paul Corfield wrote:

Buy that on the day at Midi if you need to. Reservations are not
required, and IMX, except in the height of summer, they're not even
helpful - the Benelux-Treinen are pretty long, traditional LHCS trains.

Do you mean half full? I have used these a number of years ago and would
agree that it's a decent if somewhat slow service.

I meant that there's nothing gained by having a reservation as there's
usually enough space - sorry, badly worded. I've used the
Benelux-Trein and was quite happy with the service. They're of a
similar standard to D-trains - moderately aging stock and no buffet but
reasonably comfortable.

If HSL Zuid ever opens. It is extremely depressing reading about the
mess that Dutch Railways and railway policy in the Netherlands seems to
have become. They seem to be hell bent on copying the absolute worst
aspects of UK policy and project delivery. The Dutch government are
also being "done over" by the private sector when it comes to the
operational concepts for HSL Zuid and also the Betuwe freight line.

Quite. The way many European countries are going, and certainly the
international services, I'm beginning to wonder if the UK railway is
perhaps the lesser of the many evils that seem to be out there. Even
DB isn't what it was in 1999-2000.

And what a shame given that it's a great country with good, friendly
people (IME).

Agreed.

Neil