Ode to the Amtrak Quiet Car

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jebr

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In an era when peaceful travel is made virtually impossible by crying babies and chatty seat mates, travelers cherish the sanctity of the Quiet Car with a devotion that borders on obsession.

“Frequently, my favorite place to be on this earth is the Acela Quiet Car,” says Gayle Trotter, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and activist who frequently takes Amtrak’s high-speed rail service to New York. “With the noise of my six kids at home and the incessant ringing of the phone, knocking on my door, and buzzing of email at my office, the Quiet Car offers a well-deserved respite from the cares of this world for me.”

Not only is the Quiet Car a noise-free sanctuary from outside intrusions (one of the things I like about it: It spares me from having to answer the inevitable “Are you there yet?” phone calls); it’s an oasis in an ill-mannered world. A world where basic social courtesies have gone from commonplace to optional. Where nice dinners are routinely ruined by loud cell phone talkers. Where movies are drowned out by people talking to the screen. And where the silent masses, cowed by fear or shyness, allow the loudmouths to blab away unchecked.

Not in the Quiet Car. People are polite and respectful. But the second someone whips out a cell phone, the Quiet Car becomes the “Aw, hell no!!!” car.
https://www.yahoo.com/travel/ode-to-the-amtrak-quiet-car-the-most-civilized-way-to-96763892367.html
 
This is a really nice article which describes the quiet cars in a really nice manner. Honestly, it's the next best thing to what I love about train travel in Poland. A compartment just for myself (happens if train is not totally filled up), or at least usually with 2-3 people in a compartment, there is peace and not much going on. Since those things don't exist on AMTRAK, the quiet car is awesome. If I'm travelling alone, I am ALWAYS in the quiet car - never pick other coaches.

I must admit I love the fact that sometimes on the Keystone at an odd hour I am the only passenger there in the whole car. :p

I have to say one thing - the article is a bit too romantic with this remark:

The Quiet Car is one of the few places we have left where we’re out of reach of our busy home, social, and work lives. Here we can sit with like-minded people, enjoy our silent utopia, and just… be.
There is a lot of people in the quiet car who sit on phones and laptops, just not talking, but still very much involved in the social live ;)
 
"business class car should always be designated a quiet car"

Would be nice - but would never be enforced here in Illinois. BC many times in this State is a ZOO. I'm also fairly sure that those actually conducting business over phone during trip would get in an uproar if BC was enforced as a quiet car.
 
Yeah, this sentence from that blurb isn't quite accurate:

But the second someone whips out a cell phone, the Quiet Car becomes the “Aw, hell no!!!” car.

Because, as noted, plenty of people are on their cell phones. It's perfectly acceptable so long as you are not talking

on them. But I understand the spirit in which the comment was made.
 
The quiet car on the Capitol Corridor was nice as it often became the "sleeping" car in the morning on the first train with the lights off (just emergency lights on). Announcements weren't made until just before Richmond where a slew of people get off to connect to BART.

For reference, Capitol Corridor has 9 trains with Quiet cars (originally was 7 but expanded to 9 due to popularity), 3 Eastbound and 6 Westbound train on weekday mornings (basically any train departing the originating stop before 8:30am arriving to the final destination before 10:30am).
 
I've spoken with many passengers who routinely buy Coach class tickets for the Northeast Regional (or Business on the Acela Express) solely for the ability to sit in the Quiet Car. Also, many first-timer's have requested to *downgrade* their tickets on their return leg right after detraining, citing how loud the First Class/Business Class cars can be in relation to the Quiet Car.

Many have told me it's one of Amtrak's better ideas. Seeing how full the Quiet Cars can be on SB trains right out of BOS, actually having two Quiet Cars could be useful. Many boarding at stations like RTE and PVD find the Quiet Car to be packed full...
 
I've spoken with many passengers who routinely buy Coach class tickets for the Northeast Regional (or Business on the Acela Express) solely for the ability to sit in the Quiet Car. Also, many first-timer's have requested to *downgrade* their tickets on their return leg right after detraining, citing how loud the First Class/Business Class cars can be in relation to the Quiet Car.

Many have told me it's one of Amtrak's better ideas. Seeing how full the Quiet Cars can be on SB trains right out of BOS, actually having two Quiet Cars could be useful. Many boarding at stations like RTE and PVD find the Quiet Car to be packed full...
Whenever I'm on the NER I sit in the quiet car!
 
The Quiet Car concept has the potential to draw more customers to Amtrak's Northeast Regional services. Perhaps such services will be expanded to other NER trains in greater numbers of cars offered. Quiet Cars make sense to me, because part of the reason I use rail transportation both Intracity (Metro North, Long Island RR, Metrolink and Metra for example) and Intercity (Amtrak Long Distance and Northeast Corridor) is the hassle-free quiet time and restful experience. In fact, one half of a Superliner car could be used for a "Quiet Car" feature that could be a part of a Business Class seating concept on Amtrak Long Distance trains.

It appears that passengers in Chicago have asked for and are opting for more Quiet Car services. Such is a welcome transition for commuters who have ever been seated nearby passengers who loudly pontificate on their cell phones when everyone else is trying to enjoy private thoughts before or after a workday.

For reference on passenger acceptance and details of the service expansion, here is a link to the recent positive developments on the Metra Rail - Chicago - Quiet Car services:

Quiet Cars to expand June 6:

http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/.html

(In the search box in the upper right corner of the webpage, please type - Quiet Car - to obtain several informative links).
 
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It's kind of heartening to see how much demand there is for the Quiet Car.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who thinks the world has got too noisy.
 
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