Gen Z-ers, are surprisingly passionate about the prospect of a high-speed rail network in the US. Twitter user Cara tweeted a conceptual picture of a US high-speed rail map, with the caption, “I want her so f**king much.” Despite having only 700 followers, her tweet went viral, earning over 186,000 likes and nearly 50,000 retweets. Many were tweeting the map, agreeing with the sentiment.
Photo: Alfred Twu
This High-Speed Rail Map of the US Is a Dream for the Next Gen of Travelers
you ever just think about the high speed rail system :,) pic.twitter.com/FrRtWBvXIn
— Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) July 19, 2020
The map isn’t new. It was created by graphic designer Alfred Twu in 2013, and depicts a series of interconnected high-speed rail lines, linking Los Angeles to New York, and Minneapolis to Miami. And considering how viral the map went, it seems that it’s exactly what the next generation of travelers want: a sustainable, fast, and reliable railway network throughout the entire country.
According to Vox, Cara said, “We look at other countries that have good examples of it, and we wonder why our country can’t do that. It seems like a simple solution that we can’t find the reason as to why we’re not doing it.”
While Europe and Asia both have sophisticated high-speed rail infrastructure, similar rail networks are lacking in the US, which mostly relies on regional trains. The Amtrak Acela Express, running from Boston to Washington, DC, is the only US train that comes close.
With the Biden administration currently preparing a $2 trillion green infrastructure overhaul, this map, although not perfectly designed, represents the hope that the US rail network might one day catch up with the rest of the world. 