Virginia Railway Express
For those
who prefer to work or sleep during their commute without the noise and bustle
- the Quiet Car may be the answer.
While the Quiet Car is not an atmosphere of complete silence, those seated in this special car are asked to follow a few simple guidelines.
The Quiet Car is the car located closest to the locomotive, normally, the southernmost car on the train. It can be easily identified by Quiet Car signs like the one pictured on the left. Seating in this car is provided on a first come first serve basis.
Below are some answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions about Quiet Cars:
Why the Car
Behind the Engine?
We needed to choose an easily identifiable car. With this in mind, we decided
that it either had to be the cab car or the car behind the engine. It was
decided that the cab car is generally louder, so the car behind the locomotive
was chosen. Because the bathroom is generally found in the cab car, the
flow of passengers to and from this car in generally greater.
How is Quiet Enforced?
Those seated in the Quiet Car are expected to be polite at all times. Should
there be a problem, please see a conductor.
What If I Need
to Make or Receive a Call on My Cellphone?
Please don’t use cellphones while in the Quiet Car. If you
must leave your cellphone on, switch it to the vibrate function so that
its ring won’t disturb others.
Kindly move to another car if you must make or take an incoming call.
What If My
Seatmate's Music is Too Loud?
Quiet does not mean implicit silence. A certain amount of tolerance of noise
is necessary. If needed, politely remind your seatmate that they are riding
in a Quiet Car and ask that they monitor the volume of their music.
We have experienced instances when passengers are more aggressive in confronting their fellow riders. Certainly, we do not condone this behavior.
Can I Chat
with Fellow Riders If I Whisper?
If you must communicate with a seatmate,
please whisper quietly. If you find yourself needing to whisper the entire
ride, it might make more sense to ride in the non-quiet cars.
Can the Conductor Turn Off His Radio When in the
Quiet Car?
We want to preserve a quiet atmosphere for the comfort of our riders.
However, we cannot request that our conductors silence their radios while
in this car.
Instead, we ask our crews to temporarily lower the volume of their radios as they walk through this car and to station themselves in another car. This helps to reduce the disruption of quiet for our passengers.
What Should I do If a Fellow Rider Continues to
Cough or Sneeze?
Obviously your seatmate is not intending to be discourteous. So,
if those around you have to cough or sneeze, there’s no need to glare
or complain. Offer them a throat lozenge or cough drop.
Note: Quiet Car is a registered service mark of Amtrak