There have been tons of social media videos showing how cool and comfortable it is to ride inside high-speed trains, but not many show what it's like to be outside the train when it's traveling at full speed. One TikToker did just that when they posted a video from a train station platform.
The video by RailRhodeIsland (@railroadisland) appears to be taken at a train station in Kingston, Rhode Island. "Nothing like the Amtrak Acela at full speed," the civil engineer wrote in the video's caption.
@railroadisland nothing like the #amtrak #acela at full speed #highspeedrail #highspeedtrain #railroad #railway #trains #train #railfan #passengertrains #traintravel #150mph #kingston #ri #rhodeisland #foamer #uri ♬ original sound - railrhodeisland
The video starts with a voice over the loudspeaker warning those on the platform that a train is coming. After a few seconds, a train blasts through the station. The entire train rips past the camera in a flash, leaving the person recording blown away by its speed.
The Amtrak Acela cruises along the East Coast at speeds as high as 150 miles per hour, connecting numerous cities, including Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
While 150 mph definitely seems fast, it's nowhere near as fast as other true high-speed trains around the world, especially in China. China has the three fastest trains in the world, and they can hit speeds as high as 286 mph — with an average speed of around 155 mph.
One person noted in the comments that 150 mph would be better as an average speed than a top speed for the Acela train. "If only it went that fast for the whole journey," they wrote.
The U.S. may be far behind other countries regarding high-speed rail, but we are building toward a faster future. The Brightline West would travel at speeds up to 200 mph between Las Vegas and Southern California. A line in Texas would connect Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, while one in the Northwest would run between Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.
High-speed rail is a more comfortable, cheaper option than flying, and it's faster than driving. Plus, you can relax on a train — read a book, get work done, watch TV — instead of being focused on the road while driving.
High-speed rail is also significantly better for the environment. It's estimated that the Brightline West train would remove 3 million cars from the road. According to Statista, passenger vehicles produced over 3.3 billion tons of carbon pollution worldwide every year between 2015 and 2020.
Carbon dioxide and other gases produced by burning dirty energy sources like oil, coal, and gas are the main drivers of climate change. Those gases act like a blanket, overheating our planet at an extremely fast rate. Planet overheating causes a drastic increase in extreme weather events like powerful storms, droughts, and wildfires.
Taking public transportation is one of the best ways to help cool down our planet. Of course, walking and biking are also much cheaper and healthier modes of travel.
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