Wood paneling, travel souvenirs and the hum of worn out VHS tapes… Amtrak has officially entered into the moody aesthetic genre.
On Friday, Amtrak released a ten-minute video of looping vintage ads and other “assorted railfan oddity” playing on a ’90s-era TV/VHS combo in an undisclosed location that is meant to be played in the background as you do homework or other chores or hobbies.
“Throw this on in the background while you work, study, draw, journal, or just stare into the middle distance and try to remember the exact smell of your 1990s living room carpet,” the video description reads.
The video promises no ads, aside from Amtrak’s own retired spots, and no plot that needs to be followed. It simply is.
No explanation was given for why the video was released other than, I guess, vibes.
Notable inclusions in the video are ads promoting Amtrak share fares, student passes, on-board food options and day-trip suggestions—among, err, other curiosities.
The room itself features Amtrak promotional posters, including for the Coast Starlight which operates between Seattle and Los Angeles, the Northeast Corridor that includes connections between Boston and New York City, and other Amtrak memorabilia, souvenirs and playful Easter eggs.
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“Outside, a train horn somewhere in the distance. Inside, channel after channel of pure, vintage Amtrak nostalgia,” the description continues.
Amtrak takes inspiration from popular Lofi Girl channel
The video is entitled Lo-Fi Amtrak and follows a similar style of the groundbreaking streaming channel Lofi Girl, which plays low-stress, calm hip-hop beats behind looping video of the eponymous channel’s animated star, who is typically reading or studying in a cozy room alongside her sleeping cat. The channel itself has since spawned off several side characters with similar animation, as well as endless copycats, the most recent of which is apparently Amtrak.
It’s a fun little sojourn into Amtrak’s commercial history, although not nearly as relaxing and chill as the channel it seeks to emulate. Unlike Lofi Girl’s content, Lo-Fi Amtrak isn’t a constant stream and can be appreciated in its entirety in just a few minutes.
Amtrak does, however, have longer videos that might be more suitable as background noise or moodsetters. I recommend the 10-Hour Amtrak Train Ambiance video. There’s also a “1-Hour Study With Me on the Train / Relaxing Lo-Fi Music” which more closely fits the aesthetic of its predecessors.
