As the California High-Speed Rail to continues to march slowly toward reality, concept art was released which showed what the inside of one of the high-speed trains might look like when they are built.
On Friday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority shared images on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that showed what the interior of one of its trains could look like.
The preliminary concept art was designed based off feedback from future riders and project partners, as well as members of the multilingual and disability communities, officials said.
The photos show long benches, an individual seat facing a table and standard front-facing seats in both two- and three-seat configurations.
While much of the feedback was positive, some comments were critical of the three-seat configuration, both due to a lack of contextual size and the overall feeling that sitting three-wide on public transportation is an overall unpleasant experience.
It’s important to note that the interior concepts are just that: concepts.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority hasn’t ordered a single train yet, but it has begun the process of doing so.
Last month, the High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board approved the release of a Request for Qualifications, a critical first step that will allow the Authority to gauge interest of train manufacturers and screen qualified vendors.
The Authority is looking to obtain six trainsets that are capable of operating at speeds of 220 mph and have tested at even higher speeds.
Two prototypes will need to be delivered by 2028 to allow for enough testing and trials before the first segment of the high-speed line opens in 2030.
While the full length of the track, Bay Area to Los Angeles, is still years away, officials say progress is being made with massive infrastructure projects already built and the bulk of environmental and right-of-way obstacles cleared.
Exactly how long it might take until these interior concepts become reality is anyone’s guess, but the California High-Speed Rail plans to release more information at the upcoming American Planning Association California convention in Fresno.