There's no doubt the United States is far behind much of the rest of the world regarding railway infrastructure.
Aging lines, a lack of investment, and soaring ticket prices are among the reasons that rail travel is less popular in America than it is in other countries.
@eagle_eye_world This is the first High Speed Railway station in China - Wuhan Railway station #documentary #world #engineering #highsppedtrain #railway #railwaystation #transportation ♬ original sound - Eagle Eye
A video of China's Wuhan railway station posted on TikTok has emphasized how the U.S. is dragging its feet somewhat when it comes to mass transportation that is kinder to the planet than planes and dirty-fuel-powered cars.
Posted by the Eagle Eye TikTok account (@eagle_eye_world), which shares video of city infrastructure seen from above, the video of Wuhan's railway hub has been viewed over 600,000 times and received 13,000 likes.
The footage sends viewers over the roof of the station, which the commentary says is the first high-speed line in China.
The 370,000 square-meter site cost $2 billion, and it connects rail, subway, and highway routes. Some 10 million passengers a year are served by the railway system.
With high glass windows making the most of natural light, the station can reduce its energy consumption by making the most of the sun's illumination.
"I am just not understanding WHY we don't have something like this too!!!" said one baffled TikToker in the comments section.
"I've been on this…..absolutely amazing and so well organized inside," added another user.
Train travel is seen as a more environmentally friendly alternative for travel than short-haul flights, so much so that much of the world, including the United States, is looking into bringing back more sleeper routes.
While a range of factors make the comparison between rail travel and other modes of transportation difficult when judging polluting impact, The Company of Biologists cited data from EcoPassenger that found trains produce six times less planet-warming pollution when compared to flying.
Indeed, additional data from the United Kingdom's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that a domestic flight produces 133 grams of pollution per passenger, per kilometer traveled, whereas domestic rail only produces 41 grams.
With the possibility of more trains becoming electric and moving away from standard diesel power, there's even more scope to drive these emissions down.
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