"Miss attendant, I think your cabin design is very problematic. While the chairs are indeed comfortable, your setup makes it impossible for us to move around inside the train. Forget about stretching our muscles; we can't even get to the restroom. You have absolutely no consideration for the passenger experience!" a reporter exclaimed loudly.
This issue indeed struck a chord with everyone present. The idea of a train where passengers couldn't leave their seats was extraordinarily absurd.
"That's how it is!" the attendant began to explain. "Firstly, designing restrooms in a vacuum high-speed train is actually a very unsafe practice and poses certain security risks."
"Secondly, and most importantly, our speed is very high, so the need to stretch or use the restroom during the journey is not particularly significant."
"What you're saying is nonsense. How fast can you really go? Can you get there in ten minutes?" one reporter asked indignantly.
"I apologize, but reaching the destination in ten minutes is indeed not possible. The total journey time for this train is 32 minutes and 16 seconds. From a physiological and medical perspective, this duration is manageable!" the attendant replied.
"32 minutes? Only half an hour? What is your speed?" The reporters were stunned upon hearing this time. The distance from Kunming to Guangzhou is nearly 1400 kilometers. To cover it in just 32 minutes would mean the train's speed exceeds 3000 kilometers per hour!
"Hello, the current speed of this train is 3400 kilometers per hour, with a designed maximum speed of 14,000 kilometers per hour. However, for safety reasons, this speed will not be activated at present. Our current operational speed is very safe, and this has been thoroughly validated!" the attendant stated.
"3400 kilometers per hour..." Everyone couldn't help but swallow hard. Thinking about their bodies moving within a vacuum tube at such a speed made them instinctively want to escape. If their bodies weren't securely fastened to their seats, some might have already been attempting to flee.
However, if the journey was indeed only 32 minutes, then for many, the issues of stretching or personal hygiene might not be a concern. Enduring it or using the restroom beforehand would suffice.
"What if I can't hold it?" another reporter pressed on. "Or what if I'm not going to Guangzhou, but directly from Kunming to Harbin? At your speed, that would still take three to four hours. What happens if I have such a need during that time?"
"Okay, firstly, for long-distance travel, future plans for the operation of ultra-high-speed vacuum trains will not adopt the model of large trains commonly used in previous railway systems. Instead, it will adopt a model akin to a bus system with smaller carriages!"
"The reason railways adopted the large train model was because trains require a locomotive to pull them, and the more carriages a locomotive pulls, the more economical and energy-efficient it is."
"However, this is not the case for vacuum high-speed maglev trains, as we only need a small amount of electrical energy to propel the train at high speeds within our tubes. Furthermore, each carriage does not require a locomotive to tow it; the exterior of the carriage is equipped with an electromagnetic network, and a single battery can power the entire carriage to move at high speed."
"Therefore, vacuum high-speed maglev trains can abandon the traditional combination of trains and locomotives, and each carriage can function as an independently traveling train."
"This eliminates the need to gather a large number of passengers on a single day and board them at fixed times, as with traditional trains. Instead, it will be more user-friendly, allowing passengers to go to the station or purchase tickets directly via terminals. Once enough passengers heading to the same destination fill a carriage, that carriage will immediately depart for its destination without stopping at any intermediate stations. This maximizes travel time savings and convenience."
"However, if you experience an urgent and irresistible need during your journey, you have two options to address it. First, you can press the button located beneath the seat. This will open a hygiene compartment, where we have provided a commode for you."
"You simply need to close the protective glass cover of the seat, ensuring complete privacy from external view. Then, by straightening the seat to reveal the space in front, you can use the commode to attend to your personal needs."
"The commode is equipped with disposable sanitary bags. After use, simply discard the bag into the vacuum garbage chute located beside the seat, and all waste will be automatically transported to the onboard garbage bin."
"Then you can change into an adult diaper to manage your bodily functions."
"Secondly, if you find this method unsuitable, you can opt for an emergency stop to address your personal needs. You can inform the attendant of your requirement. If three or more passengers simultaneously have such a need, the train will automatically stop at the next station, providing a 10-minute window to resolve the issue!"
"However, considering the time cost for most passengers, such unscheduled stops are limited to once per hour at most," the attendant explained all these matters very diligently to all the reporters.
There was one thing the attendant didn't mention: if one had sufficient funds, they could directly purchase a single ticket or a family ticket.
A single or family ticket meant one person or a family would occupy a separate carriage for their journey. This carriage could then stop at any station according to the user's needs until the final destination was reached, allowing them to attend to personal matters at any time or place.
Some reporters nodded in acceptance of these solutions, while others still refused to accept them, grumbling, "This is still too awful! The train having no restrooms is simply unacceptable. Only an idiot would ride such a train!"
To this, the attendant offered no further comments or explanations.
At this very moment, the entire train lurched. The attendant immediately announced, "Dear passengers, the train has now started and will soon enter the vacuum pressurization relay station. Please check your seatbelts and protective covers one more time. Maintain a reclined seated position and absolutely do not stand up or leave your seats. Please follow all instructions from the staff. Thank you!"
This was then repeated in English.
At this point, everyone's attention was focused on the sides of the train, trying to see if there was a window to view the outside. However, all their efforts were in vain. The entire interior of the train was made of solid walls, and there were no windows to be seen.
Of course, everyone could understand this outcome. After all, even if there were windows, they wouldn't be of much use. The train was traveling at 4000 kilometers per hour within a tube, so it would be miraculous to see anything.
Suddenly, the train shuddered violently, like an earthquake, startling everyone. Fortunately, the attendant quickly explained that this was the vibration caused by the train disengaging from its restraints. They had now entered the vacuum pressurization relay station, where the external environment was being evacuated of air. This process would take about 30 seconds to remove all the air from the relay station.
Upon hearing this, the reporters realized they had no way to leave. After all, the outside was now a vacuum, and opening the doors would be fatal for anyone stepping out.
Simultaneously, their curiosity about the external environment intensified, as they felt as if they were in a vacuum-sealed universe.
Indeed, after 30 seconds, a chime sounded inside the carriage, followed by an electronic announcement: "Dear passengers, the train's surface will soon be electrified, entering a levitation state. During this period, there may be slight vibrations or even rotations of the train. Passengers are advised to hold onto the handrails and maintain a reclined seated position!"
Then, everyone felt the train clearly begin to ascend. There was indeed some shaking during this process. Fortunately, there were no 360-degree rotations; at most, it swayed left and right like a rocking cradle.
The electronic voice sounded again: "Dear passengers, the train is about to leave the vacuum pressurization relay station and will soon enter acceleration channel number 3. The train will accelerate to a speed of 2000 kilometers per hour within one minute. Please continue to maintain your current fixed posture and remain calm. Passengers with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or cerebral hemorrhage are advised to have their emergency medication ready! We have also prepared vomit bags and other items in the item compartment to your right. Please feel free to use them!"
Everyone's hearts tightened upon hearing this. Then, they clearly felt the train accelerating. At the moment of acceleration, they were all forcefully pressed back into their seats, experiencing the so-called "push-back" sensation.
However, generally speaking, this push-back sensation was similar to that of an airplane, and even somewhat comparable to the push-back experienced during the acceleration of some electric vehicles.
But unlike the push-back of the former, which only occurred at the beginning and then diminished even as acceleration continued, this was different.
Throughout the entire acceleration process, passengers could feel a distinct pressure pressing them firmly into their seats. This pressure gradually subsided after more than 40 seconds. According to the train's internal speed display, the train's speed had reached 1800 kilometers per hour.
However, this did not mean the train's speed had stabilized. Over the next three minutes, the train continued to accelerate vigorously, although the intensity of acceleration was not as extreme as in the initial 40 seconds.
Instead, over a total of nearly five minutes, the train's speed was gradually increased to over 3400 kilometers per hour. After that, the train's speed remained largely stable at around 3400 kilometers per hour, with no further changes.
At this point, the atmosphere inside the train became noticeably more relaxed. The attendant warmly advised all passengers that they could temporarily open their protective covers and unfasten their seatbelts, except for the waist restraint, allowing them to move more freely in their seats.