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High-speed rail company unveils renderings of luxurious cabin options: 'A first-class experience'

It should be very encouraging to Americans that the country is finally starting to see more of these high-speed rail projects get off the ground.

It should be very encouraging to Americans that the country is finally starting to see more of these high-speed rail projects get off the ground.

Photo Credit: Brightline

High-speed rail company Brightline already operates one line in Florida and recently broke ground on its second, Brightline West, which will run from Southern California to Las Vegas. Now, the company has released renderings of what the interiors will look like for passengers on Brightline West. The images were published by Railway-News.

In addition to the renderings, Brightline revealed that the two class options for passengers will be known as Smart and Premium.

"Premium promises to offer a first-class experience with added amenities, catering to all needs," Railway-News wrote.

But Smart doesn't sound so bad, either, as Brightline said that it would offer equivalent legroom to a first-class airline seat. Smart guests will also be able to purchase various food and beverage options.

The real fun comes in the so-called Party Car, complete with a bar, various types of seating, and atmospheric lighting. One imagines that the Party Car will get a lot of use on trips to Las Vegas.

It's an exciting time to be a fan of high-speed rail on the West Coast, as, in addition to the privately owned Brightline West (which is also receiving around $6.5 billion in federal funding), the federal- and state-funded California High-Speed Rail project has also broken ground.

Studies have shown that public transit — electric high-speed rail in particular — is the most planet-friendly form of travel (apart from walking or riding a bike). 

Taking a train produces far less total planet-overheating pollution per passenger than flying, and less even than planet-friendlier options like driving an electric vehicle, as trains can transport many passengers at a time. (The numbers would be close if electric vehicles averaged four passengers per vehicle, which they do not.)

While other countries, most notably China, currently have much more robust high-speed rail systems than the United States, it should be very encouraging to Americans that the country is finally starting to see more of these projects get off the ground to keep up with many other modern countries.

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