The California High-Speed Rail project could become the United States' first comprehensive high-speed rail network if it is ever completed. Current estimates by state officials put the earliest date it could be open to passengers as 2030.
We don't have to wait that long to see what the interiors of the trains might look like, though. The California High-Speed Rail Authority recently posted a video in which Jérôme Chabot of Neomind Design Studio, the firm contracted to design these future trains, showed off a life-sized mockup of some of the cars.
The trains would feature, notably, a "family area" that Chabot described as being "something of a playground." He went on to show how one side of the family area was designed with a Pacific Ocean motif, complete with a lifeguard tower, waves, and surfboards. The other side is decorated to evoke mountains and national parks, complete with "climbing upholstery."
Chabot also explained the "eco-flex seating," which he described as "a very high-density seating concept … similar to an airline, but it is better" as the seats are wider with more legroom. The trains would also feature a "cocoon seat" that Chabot described as an "out of the box idea." Those would be akin to individual pods complete with privacy curtains.
Though Californians have been waiting for their high-speed rail system since the 1980s, there are signs that it may finally actually be coming to fruition, with promotional videos like this one and portions of the track visible from Google Earth maps.
Compared to other types of long-distance transport, high-speed rail is far friendlier to the environment in terms of planet-overheating gases per passenger.
The most robust and comprehensive high-speed rail network in the world currently belongs to China. Hopefully, the California High-Speed Rail network is just the beginning of the United States starting the process of catching up.
"Great to see these innovative designs being considered for CAHSR so it can offer a level of service not currently available in the USA in a train or a plane," wrote one commenter.
"That's nice that you're putting so much effort into providing comfortable and novel seating arrangements. I think stuff like this is a great way to get people excited about the kinds of pleasant experiences you can only have on a train," wrote another.
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