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View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) News > World > Europe Italy's populist government moves to scrap new high-speed railway that would slash 3 hours from London-Milan journey Turin-Lyon high speed railway slammed by new infrastructure minister as waste of money * Jon Stone Europe Correspondent @joncstone * Monday 13 August 2018 14:35 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * The line would dramatically speed up TGV services from Paris to Italy ( AFP/Getty Images ) Italy’s new populist government has moved to scrap a new high-speed railway line that would slash three hours off a London to Milan train journey, damning the project as “badly-born” and a potential waste of money. Travelling between Britain and Italy by train currently requires an early morning start and a late night arrival – but a new stretch of high speed line through the Alps was expected to mean travellers could leave London after breakfast and be in Milan later in the afternoon. The country’s new infrastructure minister Danilo Toninelli, from the Five Star Movement, has however said he is placing the under-construction railway, approved in 2015 by a previous government, under review, with a view to its cancellation. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now Watch more * Plans for UK-Germany high speed rail services shelved “When I study dossiers like that of Turin-Lyon TAV, I can only feel anger and disgust for how the money of Italian citizens has been wasted,” Mr Toninelli said in a post on social media. “The squandering of public money has been enormous to promote the usual potentates, certain political-economic cliques and even organised crime.” Announcing the review of the project, he said: “The environmental, social and economic impacts will tell us if it makes sense or not to carry on with a badly-born project.” The €25 billion Turin to Lyon railway is primarily intended to speed up journeys between France and Italy, but would benefit travellers coming from the UK on the Eurostar and changing in Paris, too. Italy has invested significantly in high speed rail in recent decades (Reuters ) It cuts the travel time from Paris to Milan by TGV from seven hours to four, and Paris to Turin from six hours to three. Paris is two and a half hours from London on the Eurostar; some British passengers change trains in the French capital to make the journey to Italy. Mr Toninelli claimed the previous Italian government had taken too much of the burden for paying for the line and said France should have been asked to contribute more, describing this alleged aspect as a “scandal”. The project, which is also expected to benefit rail freight, has also been the subject of ongoing protests by locals who do not want the line to be built, as is common with major infrastructure projects – such as High Speed 2 in the UK. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveIndyHeadlines [ ] I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 6 January 2020 Actor Rose McGowan speaks at a news conference outside a Manhattan courthouse after the arrival of Harvey Weinstein, in New York. Weinstein is on trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, more than two years after a torrent of women began accusing him of misconduct AP 2/50 5 January 2020 Mourners march behind a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the Iranian city of Mashhad Tasnim News/AFP/Getty 3/50 4 January 2020 Rescue personnel search for bodies among mud and debris following a landslide caused by heavy rain in West Java, Indonesia EPA 4/50 3 January 2020 A burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport is seen following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon said Thursday that the US military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump AP 5/50 2 January 2020 Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south Robert Oerlemans via AP 6/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 7/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 8/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. 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AFP via Getty 11/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 12/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 13/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. 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The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike AFP via Getty 24/50 14 December 2019 Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government's Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far AFP via Getty 25/50 13 December 2019 A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added EPA 26/50 12 December 2019 A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. 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The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion AFP via Getty 31/50 7December 2019 A French CGT unionist holds up the union's flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week AFP via Getty 32/50 6 December 2019 People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues EPA 33/50 5 December 2019 Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women's volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines Reuters 34/50 4 December 2019 Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand Getty 35/50 3 December 2019 Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women's gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila AFP via Getty 36/50 2 December 2019 A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai AFP via Getty 37/50 1 December 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam's Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final. Reuters 38/50 30 November 2019 A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years. AFP via Getty 39/50 29 November 2019 A child holds a placard during a 'drop dead' flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 40/50 28 November 2019 Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law 'The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong', provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement EPA 41/50 27 November 2019 Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania AP 42/50 26 November 2019 A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad AFP via Getty 43/50 25 November 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops KCNA via Reuters 44/50 24 November 2019 A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq Reuters 45/50 23 November 2019 Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia Getty 46/50 22 November 2019 Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 47/50 21 November 2019 A girl injured in last night's attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera AFP/Getty 48/50 20 November 2019 Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta AP 49/50 19 November 2019 An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires AAP Imagevia Reuters 50/50 18 November 2019 Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists AFP via Getty 1/50 6 January 2020 Actor Rose McGowan speaks at a news conference outside a Manhattan courthouse after the arrival of Harvey Weinstein, in New York. Weinstein is on trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, more than two years after a torrent of women began accusing him of misconduct AP 2/50 5 January 2020 Mourners march behind a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the Iranian city of Mashhad Tasnim News/AFP/Getty 3/50 4 January 2020 Rescue personnel search for bodies among mud and debris following a landslide caused by heavy rain in West Java, Indonesia EPA 4/50 3 January 2020 A burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport is seen following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon said Thursday that the US military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump AP 5/50 2 January 2020 Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south Robert Oerlemans via AP 6/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 7/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 8/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. According to local media reports, thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate in the state of Victoria as soaring temperatures and winds fanned several bushfires around the state EPA 9/50 29 December 2019 A jumper soars through the air during a trial jump at the first stage of the 68th four hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany AP 10/50 28 December 2019 Revellers dressed in mock military garb throw eggs as they take part in the "Els Enfarinats" battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2019. - During this 200-year-old traditional festival participants known as Els Enfarinats (those covered in flour) dress in military clothes and stage a mock coup d'etat as they battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers outside the city town hall as part of the celebrations of the Day of the Innocents, a traditional day in Spain for pulling pranks. AFP via Getty 11/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 12/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 13/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race included more than 300 participants on Barcelona's old harbour AFP/Getty 14/50 24 December 2019 Children dressed as Santa Claus during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a school in Amritsar AFP via Getty 15/50 23 December 2019 Palestinians wearing Christmas costumes distribute gifts to children seated atop the rubble of a house demolished by Israel, reportedly for not being built with official licensing in the village of al-Khader, west of of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty 16/50 22 December 2019 A journalist gets pepper-sprayed after a heated exchange with police during a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China. Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China's Uighurs -- with one officer drawing a pistol -- as the city's pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority AFP via Getty 17/50 21 December 2019 Children react as a Bengal tiger licks the glass surrounding its enclosure during the "Animal Christmas Party", where the youths were treated to a tour of the Malabon Zoo, in Manila AFP via Getty 18/50 20 December 2019 In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral AP 19/50 19 December 2019 A freediver wearing a Father Christmas outfit poses underwater off the coast of the northern city of Batroun AFP via Getty 20/50 18 December 2019 People rally in support of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump in front of the US Capitol, as the House readies for the historic vote AFP via Getty 21/50 17 December 2019 Protesters set fire to dumpsters and tires as they block a road in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon AFP via Getty 22/50 16 December 2019 People ride a merry-go-round at the Christmas Market at the Red Square in Moscow AFP via Getty 23/50 15 December 2019 The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike AFP via Getty 24/50 14 December 2019 Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government's Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far AFP via Getty 25/50 13 December 2019 A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added EPA 26/50 12 December 2019 A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne EPA 27/50 11 December 2019 A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital AP 28/50 10 December 2019 Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event "Unite behind the science" within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid AFP via Getty 29/50 9 December 2019 White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption EPA/Michael Schade 30/50 8 December 2019 People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion AFP via Getty 31/50 7December 2019 A French CGT unionist holds up the union's flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week AFP via Getty 32/50 6 December 2019 People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues EPA 33/50 5 December 2019 Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women's volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines Reuters 34/50 4 December 2019 Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand Getty 35/50 3 December 2019 Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women's gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila AFP via Getty 36/50 2 December 2019 A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai AFP via Getty 37/50 1 December 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam's Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final. Reuters 38/50 30 November 2019 A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years. AFP via Getty 39/50 29 November 2019 A child holds a placard during a 'drop dead' flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 40/50 28 November 2019 Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law 'The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong', provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement EPA 41/50 27 November 2019 Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania AP 42/50 26 November 2019 A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad AFP via Getty 43/50 25 November 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops KCNA via Reuters 44/50 24 November 2019 A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq Reuters 45/50 23 November 2019 Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia Getty 46/50 22 November 2019 Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters 47/50 21 November 2019 A girl injured in last night's attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera AFP/Getty 48/50 20 November 2019 Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta AP 49/50 19 November 2019 An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires AAP Imagevia Reuters 50/50 18 November 2019 Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists AFP via Getty The route’s tunnel through the Alps, if completed, would be one of the longest in the world. Preliminary construction and surveying has already begun, with major works on the main tunnel due to start this year and to take a decade. The incoming Italian government, a coalition of the Five Star Movement and the far-right League parties, has also fired the entire board of the Italian state railways. The government is likely to fill the board with its own picks. Italy has embarked on a major high-speed rail building programme in recent decades, with fast lines or planned lines connecting practically all the country’s major cities both north-south down the peninsula and east-west across the north Italian plain More about Italy | Five Star Movement | high speed rail | Rail | Milan | Eurostar | Show{{#moreThan3_total}} {{value_total}} {{/moreThan3_total}} comments Comments Share your thoughts and debate the big issues Learn more (BUTTON) {{#singleComment_p}}{{value_p}} Independent Premium comment{{/singleComment_p}}{{^singleComment_p}}{{value_p}} Independent Premium comments{{/singleComment_p}} (BUTTON) {{#singleComment_open}}{{value}} open comment{{/singleComment_open}}{{^singleComment_open}}{{value}} open comments{{/singleComment_open}} Open Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. 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Italy's populist government moves to scrap new high speed railway line 1/2 The line would dramatically speed up TGV services from Paris to Italy AFP/Getty Images 2/2 Italy has invested significantly in high speed rail in recent decades Reuters