@jon @tomtom I took the train between Zürich and Barcelona last year, and the most uncomfortable aspect by far was the leg between Genève and Lyon. The trains have seen better days, and I feel are very undersized considering the populations and proximity of the two cities.

This, the lack of coordinated timetables upon arrival in Lyon, and the surprisingly few trains to Barcelona per day left a bad impression on me of French rail. I fully agree with everything you have written on this.