NJ Transit expands Quiet Commute program to include Atlantic City Rail Line
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
New Jersey Transit is expanding its Quiet Commute program to trains on the Atlantic City Rail Line, operating between Philadelphia, Pa., and Atlantic City, N.J. The program goes into effect January 20 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays.
“We heard from our Atlantic City Rail Line customers that they want to enjoy the benefits of Quiet Commute cars on trains and we are taking action based directly on their recommendations,” said Executive Director Veronique Hakim. “We want our customers to know that their feedback will continue to be the driving force behind NJ Transit’s ongoing efforts to improve their overall experience on our system.”
The designated Quiet Commute car will be the first car on northbound trains traveling towards Philadelphia and the last car on southbound trains traveling towards Atlantic City, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
Quiet Commute cars are intended to provide a subdued environment for customers who wish to refrain from using cell phones and are willing to disable the sound feature on pagers, games, computers and other electronic devices. Conversations should be conducted in subdued voices and headphones should be used at a volume that cannot be heard by other passengers.
NJ Transit will closely monitor and evaluate the Quiet Commute program on the Atlantic City Rail Line, with feedback received from customers and employees guiding any possible changes.
NJ Transit first launched the peak period Quiet Commute program in September 2010 as a pilot on its busiest trains, “3900-series” Northeast Corridor express trains, to test the feasibility of offering the amenity on its rail system. After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers, NJ Transit expanded the program in January 2011 to include all peak-period, peak-direction trains that begin or end their trips at New York Penn Station or Newark Penn Station. In June 2011, the agency completed a systemwide rollout to peak-period trains with the expansion of Quiet Commute to include all rail lines that serve Hoboken Terminal. The program was expanded last May to include all off-peak trains serving Hoboken Terminal.
