Wired takes a tour of a Siemens factory in California tasked with the task of building the rolling stock for the forthcoming, privately-funded Brightline train line in Florida.
Jack Stewart reports from a factory near Sacramento, where Siemens "is building some of the most modern, high tech, high speed trains to hit US rails."
The trains are being built for service on the Brightline, which until recently was known as All Aboard Florida. The route will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, with trains traveling up to 125 miles per hour, according to Stewart.
The article's main purpose is to explain how the trains being constructed at the Siemens factory embody the future of train travel in the United States:
That translates to things like extra-large “picture windows” that align with each seat for the best views. Passengers get access to Wi-Fi (which is promised to be the actually useful high-speed variety), tons of power outlets, and reclining seats. To accommodate those traveling with children and luggage as well as older, mobility-impaired passengers—demographics that make up a large part of the anticipated Florida ridership—the trains offer wide aisles and overhead luggage storage.
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