speed

A new trainline proposal could see 39 major European cities linked, potentially cutting carbon emissions for travellers and slashing journey times exponentially

Say goodbye to short-haul flights. A new trainline system has been proposed that could see 39 major European holiday destinations linked for the first time, in what has been dubbed the ‘European Tube’. The proposal has been made by 21st Europe – a think-tank based in Copenhagen – and the ‘Starline’ system could revolutionise travel across the European continent, slashing carbon emissions exponentially, and offering much faster journey times than the trains currently in place.

The 39-stop system has been noted to be similar to the ‘Welsh Tube’ that has been proposed, which will see 105 miles of South Wales linked by tram-style trains. The Welsh offering has been in the works for over a decade and is reportedly set to cost a whopping £1,000,000,000 to complete.

But the designers of Starline are dreaming so much bigger than that with their Euro tube proposal, not just hoping to make travel itself easier, getting rid of the need for carbon-heavy, short-haul flights, but to create a sense of cohesion and connection across Europe itself. Something that they say is currently sorely missing with the existing infrastructure, which they say lacks a “unifying vision”.

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The proposal could cut carbon emissions by an incredible 95 per cent, massively increasing the continent’s chances of actually reaching net zero, by providing new links in Europe all the way from Turkey, the UK, to Ukraine, with a visually striking network of deep blue trains.

For sustainably savvy travellers, the proposal is likely to be music to their ears, with there being some major drawbacks when it comes to interrailing in the current set-up. Some of these issues, the think tank points out, include “complex ticketing, inconsistent service, and outdated stations [which] make rail feel fragmented.

In 2023, a whopping eight billion people chose to opt for a high-speed train journey, but only a small fraction of these – nine per cent – saw passengers actually cross an international border, something this proposal is hoping to resolve.

Five lines have been proposed to range across the vast continent, one going from Naples to Helsinki, another from Lisbon to Kyiv, a third from Madrid to Istanbul, one from Dublin to Kyiv and, finally, a line from Milan to Oslo. Much like the London Underground, this would see passengers able to make swift changes to navigate the continent at major stations.

No detail has been too small in this proposal, which has renewable energy at its heart. From the blue trains and yellow interiors mirroring the European flag, the think tank has called it an exercise in “identity making” as much as a provision of easy-to-use, low-carbon travel.

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It’s championship week in the high school football playoffs.

Here’s a look at top matchups on Friday and Saturday:

Southern Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita (9-3) vs. Corona Centennial (11-1) at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

The last team standing will be the one able to execute on offense in a showcase of two aggressive, physically tough defenses. Santa Margarita has an advantage with versatile linebacker Dash Fifita and a defensive line second to none. Coach Carson Palmer twice played in the Rose Bowl as a player for USC. Centennial must find a way to run the ball or quarterback Dominick Catalano will have a long night. The pick: Santa Margarita.

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica (13-0) at Palos Verdes (10-3), 7 p.m.

Pacifica’s speed will cause Palos Verdes problems, especially if quarterback Taylor Lee can get the ball to his playmakers. Any team with quarterback Ryan Rakowski will not go down easily, but Rakowski suffered a broken thumb last week. Backup Giorgio Di Mascio has shown he can fill in when needed. The pick: Pacifica.

SATURDAY

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos (11-2) at San Clemente (9-4), 7 p.m.

No team has turned around its season quicker than San Clemente, which has gone from unranked to playing in the championship game with a five-game winning streak. And the teams they’ve beaten were good — Los Alamitos, Edison, Beaumont, Vista Murrieta and Leuzinger. Defense has been key. Patrick Norman leads the team with 109 tackles. The Tritons will have to make sure Los Alamitos running backs Lenny Ibarra and Kamden Tillis are held in check. The pick: San Clemente.

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) at Redondo Union (9-4), 7 p.m.

With a student population of just 150, Rio Hondo Prep faces its toughest challenge yet going for a 17th championship. Coach Mark Carson has schemes and strategies taught to players once they arrive in seventh grade. Running back Noah Penunuri (1,203 yards, 22 touchdowns) is recovering from an ankle injury. Redondo Union, with a student body of nearly 3,000, is in its first title game since 1944. Quarterback Cole Leinart is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The pick: Rio Hondo Prep.

City Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION III

Hawkins (10-2) vs. Santee (9-4) at Birmingham, 2 p.m.

It’s been a long road back for Hawkins after the program hit rock bottom in 2016 with forfeits, the firing of the coaching staff and an exodus of players during a season that ended up 0-13. Coach Ronald Coltress has stayed the course. Senior Jamarieah Wallace is closing in on 900 yards rushing. Santee’s Darnell Miller gets the chance to put on a show. He has rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. The pick: Santee.

DIVISION II

San Fernando (10-3) vs. Cleveland (5-8) at Birmingham, 6 p.m.

Everything changed when Cleveland quarterback Domenik Fuentes came back from an injury in Week 1 to lead the Cavaliers in the playoffs. San Fernando’s Julian Sarzo has passed for 1,500 yards. The pick: Cleveland.

SATURDAY

DIVISION I

Marquez (11-2) vs. South Gate (10-3), at L.A. Southwest College, 2 p.m.

It will be the passing of South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez vs. the all-around game of junior Elyjah Staples, perhaps the top college prospect in the City Section. He gets sacks, catches passes and makes plays. The pick: Marquez.

OPEN DIVISION

Crenshaw (10-1) vs. Carson (8-3) at L.A. Southwest College, 6 p.m.

These two defenses have given up a combined 14 points in the playoffs. As impressive as Crenshaw has been, Carson has reached another level behind quarterback Chris Fields III. Crenshaw’s speed on defense and resiliency should make for a defensive battle. The pick: Carson.

WASHINGTON — Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers Tuesday morning that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not expect the level of Ukrainian resistance to his invasion, nor the level and speed of sanctions imposed by countries around the world.

“Our analysts assess that Putin is unlikely to be deterred by such setbacks and instead may escalate, essentially doubling down,” she said.

The comments from Haines and other intelligence officials came in an unusually candid public hearing with members of the House Intelligence Committee. The hearing was expected to focus on the intelligence community’s annual global threat assessment, but it was instead largely dominated by questions about Russia’s two-week-old invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. The House panel will get a classified assessment in the afternoon.

Haines said Putin likely expected the conflict to last a matter of days at most and predicted Russia will be hard pressed to hold any ground it gains.

“We assess Putin feels aggrieved the West does not give him proper deference and perceives this as a war he cannot afford to lose, but what he might be willing to accept as a victory may change over time given the significant costs he is incurring,” she said.

CIA Director William Burns agreed, saying Putin initially believed Ukraine was weakened and easily intimidated, and that the Russian leader had modernized his military to the point of ensuring a quick victory. Burns added that Putin had been confident early on that he had sanction-proofed his economy, and that the Europeans were too distracted to pay much attention to the invasion.

“He’s been proven wrong on every count,” Burns said.

Still, Burns said the invasion is a “matter of deep personal conviction” for Putin.

“He has been stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years,” Burns said.

Putin’s plan was premised on seizing Kyiv within the first two days of the campaign, Burns said, and he is getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress.

“He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties,” Burns said. “He has no sustainable political endgame in the face of what is going to continue to be fierce resistance from Ukrainians.”

At this point, Burns said he cannot see how Putin can stand up a puppet regime in the face of massive opposition from the Ukrainian people, warning there is an “ugly next few weeks” ahead.

Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier estimated that 2,000 to 4,000 Russian soldiers have died in the less than two weeks since the invasion began, a number that far exceeds what the Russian government has acknowledged. For context, the United States suffered more than 7,000 military deaths over two decades in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Berrier said Russia appears to be attempting to cut off food and water to Kyiv as a strategy.

“It will become somewhat desperate in I would say 10 days to two weeks,” he said.

Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) told reporters after the hearing that as Putin doubles down on Ukraine, it remains difficult to see how the conflict ends.

“What’s the offramp? I think what we can do is just to continue to escalate the price that he and Russia have to pay for this,” Schiff said. “I think until he feels that his own regime is at risk, it’s hard to see him looking for an exit ramp.”

Congressional lawmakers are debating how much additional aid to send to Ukraine, and what additional economic measures to take against Russia, which is already seeing unprecedented sanctions on its financial systems, top leaders and businesses. On Tuesday, President Biden announced a ban on the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called for some $12 billion in aid, and urged passage this week, saying it “will provide both humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine: funding for refugees, medical supplies, emergency food supplies, as well as funding to support weapons transfers into Ukraine, and help for our eastern flank NATO allies.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has said Congress is looking to pass $10 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as part of a larger government funding measure. A vote could occur as soon as today.