High-speed rail is one of the most efficient ways to travel for medium-range trips, and although the U.S. has been slow to upgrade its aging railway infrastructure, as the American Society of Civil Engineers laid out, Amtrak's new Northeast Corridor Acela trains are closing the gap. 

TikTok content creator Aye See (@ayesee_slater) shared a montage from their recent journey between Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., which offers a peek at the speed and amenities you can expect on this new train.

"With a top speed of 160 [mph] and futuristic cabins, I finally feel like I'm living in the year 2025!!" Aye See exclaimed.

@ayesee_slater With a top speed of 160 and futuristic cabins, I finally feel like I'm living in the year 2025!! #acela #traintrip #Boston #DC #fypppp ♬ original sound - switchdisco

The brief video shows an exterior view of the sleek new train, glimpses of the business-class seating and restroom, as well as some telling rain streaks on the windows as it blasts toward its destination. 

Just a couple of weeks ago, Amtrak introduced five new high-speed trains on its 450-mile Northeast Corridor, which stretches from Washington, D.C. to Boston, per the High Speed Rail Alliance. Another 23 of these trains — which can hit a top speed of 160 mph — will be in service by 2027.

The NextGen Acela electric trainsets offer 27% more seating and consume 20% less energy than previous models, improving their overall efficiency per rider. 

Amenities include more comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, upgraded cafe cars, and spacious bathrooms — which you can briefly see in the video. 

According to Amtrak, you can make a positive impact on the environment by choosing its trains over other modes of transportation for medium-range travel. Its electric models are 46% more energy-efficient than cars and 34% more energy-efficient than flying.

Around 90% of the world's transportation energy is generated from dirty fuels, and the sector accounts for around 57% of total oil demand, according to a report by Greenly. 

This highlights the need for more eco-friendly transportation options to accelerate our clean-energy transition. 

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Commuting from Washington, D.C. to New York City by train results in 70% fewer CO2e emissions than flying, according to Amtrak, and you won't have to deal with long boarding wait times and security lines. 

These new trainsets are not only more efficient but also support the local economy by creating "a domestic supply chain spanning 180 businesses across 29 states and [using] 95% domestically sourced components," according to Alstom, the manufacturer. 

Although other high-speed rail lines across the globe can achieve speeds upward of 200 mph, the 160-mph capability of the NextGen Acela makes it the fastest train in the U.S. right now, per Alstom. 

One commenter on the post shared that they also made a similar Northeast Corridor journey recently, saying, "I caught the new Acela from Boston to Baltimore yesterday afternoon and loved it!"

Another inquired about the high-speed experience, asking, "Did it feel like you were going that fast?"

"YES," Aye See replied. "We got a little dizzy looking out the window at times."

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