Traveler shares eye-opening video about little-known high-speed train: 'The only train of its kind'

French YouTuber Simply Railway (@SimplyRailway) recently posted about one of their favorite rail lines.

"I actually use this service quite a lot. In just one hour, I'm right in the heart of Dover. It's the only train of its kind in the UK," he says. "These trains are much more comfortable than other British trains."

Simply Railway is talking about the UK's only regional high-speed train: the Javelin. The Class 395 train has operated since 2009 along multiple stops in England's southeast. Its top speed is 140 miles per hour, and it uses a third rail system for power. The impressive train was ready to connect to France's system, but Brexit put the brakes on that. 

England is slowly but surely progressing on its HS2 high-speed rail line, which will run from London to Birmingham. It will connect to the existing HS1 line, which runs from London to the Channel Tunnel to France. It's better than the little progress America has made on rail, but still a far cry from Japan's standard-setting service. 

High-speed rail shows a lot of promise for displacing polluting regional air travel. Short-haul flights produce some of the highest pollution per passenger mile out there, so fast, convenient, affordable, and comfortable alternatives are highly welcome. The more we can rely on low-impact travel options, the fewer heat-trapping gases we release into the atmosphere, which impact weather patterns, melt ice caps, and warm oceans. 

YouTube commenters agreed that the Javelin was a fine ride and had a few other suggestions to pile on. 

"The most comfortable trains are the 159s and 158s (unrefurbished versions) that I used to drive, the ones that are still in the SWT colours," recommended one viewer. 

"I have been on it on a return journey from St Pancras to Rochester.  They are excellent and very comfortable. I like them." said another. 

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