East Coast Program Arrives In The West
Oakland, CA – At the request of a number of regular riders on Capitol Corridor trains between Sacramento and the Bay Area, one car on each train will be set aside as a “Quiet Car” beginning Monday, February 18, 2002 (the Quiet Car will be located in the first coach car directly behind the (locomotive) cab car).
The Quiet Car is designed for those passengers who want to read, do work quietly or take a rest while traveling to their destination. Pagers, cellular phones, laptop computers and other electronic devices are to be turned to the “silent mode.” Conductors may dim overhead lighting, but reading lights may be used and emergency lights will remain lit. Luggage bin doors are to remain closed during and between stops. To provide space for all who want to ride in the Quiet Car, passengers may occupy only one seat at a time.
The Quiet Car first debuted in January 2000 as a pilot program on one train out of Philadelphia, PA. The program soon expanded to virtually all routes along the Northeast corridor. “The popularity of this program has now reached the West Coast,” said Gil Mallery, Senior Vice-President of Amtrak West. “Guests can now rest or work in a quiet surrounding without disturbances from ringing cell phones or beeping pagers.”