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As flight-free travel gains momentum, European train journeys are experiencing a renaissance.

Changing the way you travel is one the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. According to Eurostar, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times more CO2 than travelling by train.

Luckily, countries across the EU are investing in railways that provide better - and faster - connections than ever before.

From budget-savvy night trains to cross-country tracks, here are all the latest European railway routes.

Austrian national rail firm BB has been trailblazing Europes sleeper train revival with NightJet since 2016. In late 2021, it launched a new route between Vienna and Paris via Salzburg and Munich.

The journey takes 14 hours and runs three times a week in both directions, with prices from around 30 for a seat to 120 and up for a private compartment.

In summer 2023, Nightjet will launch new-gen trains that rival first-class flights in comfort. Expect wireless charging stations, free wifi, bicycle and snow sports equipment storage and private compartments with their own showers and toilets.

Nightjet's new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, passengers can take trains to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre.

The long-teased European Sleeper, a Belgian-Dutch social cooperative, will launch its first route - from Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam - on 25 May 2023.

With only one change, passengers will be able to travel on to Paris, London, Prague and Warsaw. From 2024, the plan is to extend the service to Dresden and Prague.

Prague to Zurich with D

In December 2022, the Czech Republics national rail operator esk drhy (D)launched a new sleeper service linking Prague to Zurich, with stops at Frankfurt and Basel along the way.

The overnight journey, a revival of a service that closed down in 2017,will take slightly less than 14 hours. Travellers will have a number of different fare options, from six-bed couchettes to deluxe sleeper compartments with en-suite toilets and showers.

Tickets for a berth in a six-bed couchette start from 49.90.

France and Germany have announceda new TGV train route between Paris and Berlin that is due to start running in 2024.

Currently, a trip between the two capital cities requires travellers to change at a separate station such as Cologne or Frankfurt.The new high-speed link would allow passengers to make the journey in around seven hours.

In December 2022,FS Italiane Group - the owner ofItaly's national state-owned railway Trenitalia - announced plans for a newhigh-speed Frecciarossa train connection between Paris and Madrid.

The new train will link Paris and Barcelona, where the existing high-speed service already runs to the Spanish capital. It is projected to launch in late 2024, with hints that further services could connectMadrid with Italy via France.

Swedish railway company Snlltget has rerouted its Berlin to Malm train service through Hamburg and Denmark, while extending it to Stockholm. The full journey takes just under 17 hours with prices for the direct service from around 50.

Nightjet's new 2023 timetable saw its Vienna/Munich service to Milan extended to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy. From here, onward travel to Monaco, Nice and Cinque Terre is possible.

In its new 2023 timetable, NightJet extended its sleeper train service from Munich to Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb to start in Stuttgart, Germany.

Seasonally, the route will also run to the coastal Croatian city of Rijeka, with a total journey time of around 15 hours.

The Nightjet to Venice travels via Munich, Salzburg and Treviso, while the service to the Croatian and Slovenian capitals is run by Croatian Railways H and Slovenian Railways S under BB's EuroNight.

In late 2021, Italian high-speed rail company NTV Italo launched a Genoa service linking the previously poorly connected port city in Italys northwest to the south of the country.

The journey from Genoa to Naples takes just under seven hours and costs from around 80 return.

Also in late 2021, Frecciarossa - the high-speed arm of Italian national train operator Trenitalia - launched a swanky new train between Milan and Paris.

Faster and more luxurious than previous services on this route, the train takes just under seven hours. Tickets are as cheap as 29 - though splash out on an executive fare to travel in a comfy armchair.

Portugal has approved plans for a high-speed rail line between Lisbon, Porto and Vigo. It will be part of the wider Iberian high-speed rail network uniting the country andconnecting it with Spain.

Currently it takes almost three hours to travel by train between Porto and Lisbon. The new rail link will slash the journey time to just 1 hour 15 minutes. Ultimately, the new line will connect the Portuguese cities with Vigo in Spain.

Snow sport lovers are bracing for a new overnight train launching between Amsterdam and some of Austrias biggest ski resorts.

TUIs Ski Express will depart from Amsterdam every Friday night between 23 December and 31 March.After leaving the Dutch capital at 5:30pm, the service will stop at Utrecht, then continue directly to Austria.

Austrian-led night train pioneer NightJet launched a route between Amsterdam and Zurich in late 2021. It leaves at 8.30pm and arrives at 8.05am.

Sleeping options range from couchettes (from around 60) to sleeper cabins (from around 120).

In November 2022, SNCF-owned Ouigo launched a new high-speed route between Madrid and Valencia. It will soon also run to Alicante. Tickets will initially be priced at 9 one-way with one suitcase, but will cost around 30 after the launch period.

In 2023, Ouigo plans to extend its service to reach Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and the Costa del Sol.

Travelling between Spains capital and its top tourist city got faster and cheaper in November 2022 with this new high-speed rail service from Iryo.

Iryo -a consortium between Spanish airline Air Nostrum and Italian train company Trenitalia - runs 16 return trains daily between Barcelona and Madrid, taking as little as 2.5 hours each way and costing just 18.

Launched in December 2021, the Hungarian Railways train from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Budapest, Hungaryruns through Graz in Austria for a scenic ride. The journey takes 7.5 hours and trains depart at 5:05am and 9:35am, starting as low as 16 each way.

Launched in September 2022, the Stockholm Central to Hamburg-Altona night trainis powered by renewable energy. It departs daily at 5.30pm and arrives at 6.30am, passing through Copenhagen along the way.

The cheapest option is a seat in a carriage (from 25). A bed in a shared compartment starts at 45, while a private compartment for two people with a sink starts at 165.Private compartments for one-to-three people come with their own shower, toilet and breakfast starting from around 205. Pet-friendly train compartments are also available.

Combined with existing Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn services, the service can also be used to travel from London to Stockholm in less than 24 hours.

In a 2020 press conference, Nightjet announced it will launch a new night train between Zurich and Rome in winter 2022. It remains to be seen whether the plans will go ahead as scheduled. Currently, the operators only Rome routes include Vienna, Salzburg, Villach and Munich.

Eurotunnel execs have hinted at plans for a London to Bordeaux route, which they aim to launch within the next five years. They hope the new infrastructure will encourage private jet users to visit the Cte d'Azur more sustainably.

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Rail revival: The best new European train journeys to take in 2023

The Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of a busy head coach search that has seen the number of candidates rise to more than a dozen. The new head coach will have to hit the ground running with free agency and the draft fast approaching.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) took the task of linking a free-agent defender to every team, and for the Colts, they pegged edge rusher Melvin Ingram of the Miami Dolphins as a key target.

"The Colts will likely focus their offseason efforts on acquiring a starting quarterback and addressing the left tackle position, so a veteran edge rusher to pair with a young group would be a smart move just as it was for the Dolphins in 2022," wrote PFF's Brad Spielberger.

"Former first-round pick Kwity Paye and 2021 second-round pick Dayo Odeyingbo have both improved over their first two seasons, and a consummate professional in Ingram can help them take the next step."

What goes unsaid by Spielberger is the signing of Ingram would likely be the end of Yannick Ngakoue's tenure with the Colts.

"Ingram has earned 75.0-plus pass-rush grades in four consecutive seasons, putting to rest any notion that hes slowing down as he gets older, though you do want to deploy him in more of a rotational capacity around 500 snaps on the season going forward," wrote Spielberger.

"Over the past two seasons, Ingrams 15.9% pass rush win rate and 12.0% pressure rate are both top 50 marks at the position, and his 79.3 run defense grade ranks 10th. Hes prone to the occasional missed tackle, but letting him focus primarily on pinning his ears back on passing downs is the perfect way to get the most out of him down the homestretch of his great career."

While Spielberger makes the case for him as a pass rusher, Ngakoue had 9.5 sacks last year for the Colts and has had eight or more sacks every year of his career.

Meanwhile Ngakoue has fallen woefully short in his run defense. He had a 43.7 grade from PFF in run defense last season compared to Ingram's 65.9 last year.

Using Ingram in a rotation in his 12th season in the NFL would be wise, but his ability to set the edge and defend the run is the bigger need for the Colts.

Ingram signed a one-year $4-million contract with the Dolphins last season. A similar deal for the Colts in 2023 would be well worth the investment. A deal of that size wouldn't necessarily mean the end of Ngakoue.

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PFF Links Dolphins Edge to Colts - Sports Illustrated Indianapolis ...

The Buffalo Bills loss to the Cincinnati Bengals means their season ends but the offseason immediately gets going.

During the upcoming 2023 time away from football, there will be a lot of fireworks for Buffalo en route. The Bills, more than years past, seem to have a lot of things coming into the frame regarding free agency.

Not only does the team have importance pieces that are set to hit the open market, there are dollars and cents coming into the fold. Namely, quarterback Josh Allens extension kicking in.

According to Spotrac, Allens cap hit jolts from $16.4 million to $39.8M. Thats going to hamper the team and general manager Brandon Beane more now.

All things considered, guys like linebacker Tremaine Edmunds might on the outside looking in. A former first-round pick of the Bills, his rookie deal is set to expire.

Following the 27-10 loss, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was already asked about the idea of some players looking set to depart.

Thats the hard part of this business. I love every person in that locker room, McDermott said via video conference.

For the player, its more on the bittersweet side. Edmunds said he would love to stay, but the reality is a pay day could be waiting for him.

My emotions, too high right now, Edmunds told reporters. I care so much about this team, so much about this organization. Its bigger than myself.

For Edmunds full response, see the attached WIVB-TV video below:

Go here to read the rest:
Bills Tremaine Edmunds on future: I care so much about this team

Procore Technologies (NYSE:PCOR) adds US$239m to market cap in the past 7 days, though investors from a year ago are still down 15%  Simply Wall St

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Procore Technologies (NYSE:PCOR) adds US$239m to market cap in the past 7 days, though investors from a year ago are still down 15% - Simply Wall St

Whether you want to easily share images online, protect your photos with a password, create a photo album, or simply save storage space, there are many reasons why you may want to convert JPG to PDF.

In this article, well explain how to convert JPG to PDF for free without installing any software or downloading an app.

First, make sure you know what folder your images are stored in. If you are going to convert multiple JPG to PDF, it will be easier if you have all the images saved in the same folder.

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Note: You can use both .jpg and .jpeg files; these are essentially two names for the same thing.

This is the fastest and cheapest way to convert your images to PDF without using software or apps. Go to the FormatPDF tool for JPG and simply upload your files.

This should only take a few seconds, although it may take longer, depending on how many images you are working with.

Once they are uploaded, your images will be visible in the main window.

On the right-hand side, you will see some information. Lets take a closer look.

Here you will see the name of each file in yellow. You can select or deselect the box to merge all of the images into a single PDF document. Youll probably want to put everything in one document, which is why this option is already selected by default.

To finish, click the Convert to PDF button.

After a few moments, the file will download onto your device, and youll see the confirmation screen.

Youve officially converted your JPG to PDF without using external software!

You have several different options on what to do with your brand-new PDF file that contains your converted images:

How would you feel if strangers were looking at your photos? What about coworkers or your boss? Even if you know how to take flattering photos, you may not want them to be shared without your knowledge.

For peace of mind, you might want to consider password-protecting your file. This is easy enough to do; FormatPDF has another online tool to lock your PDF with a password. You can access all the tools from the homepage Formatpdf.com/en/.

Once your document is protected, you can continue to any of the other options. You can also skip this step; its optional.

If youre guilty of saving everything on your Desktop, you are not alone! Its easy to fall into this bad habit, but its best to set up a system where you can find your file easily when needed.

Possible places to save your PDF could be:

This file type is smaller than JPEG, so youve saved space by converting it first.

You should definitely make a point to save your doc somewhere memorable so you can find it again.

One of the advantages of merging multiple photos into one PDF is that it is much easier to send over email. This is because:

To attach something to an email, Compose a new message, click on the paper clip icon, and select your document.

Are you one of the 2 billion people in the world who use WhatsApp? This can be a faster way to share your document since people check their phones more often than their email.

To share your PDF on WhatsApp:

Yes, you can. FormatPDF has another tool to reverse the action.

But remember, your original images will still be saved in the original folder where you selected them before uploading them into the tool. These images are not removed from the folder during the conversion process; a copy is made during the uploading process, so your original photos dont disappear.

Yes, you can use the free online FormatPDF converter from any device with an internet connection. Just take note of where on your phone the image is stored so that you can select it and upload it into the tool.

Yes, FormatPDF also has an online tool to convert these types of images to other formats. From the homepage, select the tool that corresponds with your file type.

Read the rest here:
How to convert JPG to PDF without using external software? - Techgenyz