By: Alex
A recent viral short video of an unidentified train shows passengers looking out the windows not only at ocean views but also at purple-hued clouds. The most astonishing part? The train appears to have no doors closed (or perhaps even no doors at all), with some passengers taking photos right by the doorway using their phones, and one woman even leaning half her body outside the carriage, enjoying the sea breeze despite the obvious risks.
Train ride in Chennai, India pic.twitter.com/rMRQ7O76Of
— ? (@earthvisuals) March 12, 2020
Perhaps because the scene in the animated film *Spirited Away*, where Chihiro and No-Face ride a "train on the sea" to visit Zeniba, has left such a deep impression, many netizens believe this train in the video is the real-world counterpart to that iconic "sea train," making a ride on it feel like stepping into the world of *Spirited Away*.
▲Chihiro and No-Face ride the "train on the sea" to visit Zeniba together. (Film still)
The video can be traced back to a tweet posted by @earthvisuals, which only mentioned that the footage was taken in Chennai, India, without providing further details. However, it didn’t take long for netizens to point out that the train in the video is likely in Sri Lanka—it’s the railway connecting the capital Colombo with the southern city of Galle, running along the western coast. Some even speculated that the footage might have been shot around the Bambalapitiya station area, as it’s very close to the sea.
Japanese travel blogger Luis once visited Colombo out of curiosity and even rented a hotel room right next to the railway. From his balcony, he captured trains passing by, revealing that local passenger trains run at relatively low speeds and lack doors—so passengers can easily stick their bodies out. Later, he went onto the tracks to take photos, and using post-processing techniques, made the tracks appear to extend infinitely toward the center of the sea, giving off strong *Spirited Away* vibes.
▲Luis used Photoshop to composite two track photos to create an “infinitely extending” effect. (Photo by Luis)
Sources: Earth Visuals, Luis Blog