A smooth ride that's kind to the planet? Sounds like the transport of the future — available now in Indonesia.
TikToker Ken Abroad (@kenabroadvlogs) recently took an "exciting" ride on Indonesia's brand-new high-speed train and spilled all the eco-friendly tea.
In his video, Ken boards the sleek red and white train, looking optimistic about its maiden voyage. As the train departs, it leaves exactly on time, making a great first impression, according to Ken.
@kenabroadvlogs I Took Indonesia's New High-Speed Train #jakarta #indonesia #bandung #keretacepat #keretacepatjakartabandung ♬ original sound - Ken Abroad
He films out the window, showing the train effortlessly picking up speed. Inside, Ken pans around the car, which boasts loads of legroom between spacious seats. The lighting creates a relaxing vibe as lush Indonesian landscapes zip past outside.
Despite traveling a whopping 88 miles in under an hour, Ken says the train remained quiet, smooth, and steady. He arrived at his destination in only 54 minutes.
"This was probably one of the best train experiences I ever had," Ken effuses at the end of the quick yet comfortable ride.
Beyond the convenient experience for passengers, high-speed trains are gentler on the earth than planes since they produce fewer carbon emissions, which pollute the atmosphere and trigger life-threateningly high temperatures and extreme weather events. According to Our World in Data, taking a train instead of a car for a medium-length trip would cut your carbon footprint 80%, while using a train instead of a plane reduces it by 86%.
Indonesia's $7.3 billion high-speed rail, called "Whoosh," connects Jakarta and Bandung, taking residents across the nation faster — and greener — than ever. With smooth rides, sustainability, and all the modern comforts, Whoosh might represent the future of commuting.
This video has us ready to hop aboard eco-tourism's new express lane. Who else wants to see more green trains go the distance?
A few commenters say the futuristic new rail makes the U.S. seem behind by comparison.
"A third world country has high speed train but a well developed US doesn't!" one TikToker comments.
And Indonesia isn't the only nation investing in this cutting-edge form of transportation. "In China, every city is connected by high speed railways," another commenter points out.
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