On my recent trip to VA for an interview, I chose to take Amtrak. It had been about a year since I last travelled by train and I was pleased as punch to discover their a feature they've rolled out since my last trip: the Quiet Car.
Each train now has one car of the eight designated as the Quiet Car. Amtrak advertises the car as "a library environment", one wherein cell phone use is prohibited and talk must be kept to a whisper. Since I often find train travel a bit noisy, I decided to use the Quiet Car in both directions.
The silence greatly improved my travel experience. On the trip down, the silence helped me concentrate as I reviewed my interview notes, and on the trip back, I kicked back and watched the foliage whip undisturbed. Interestingly, the peaceful atmosphere seemed to cause people to be more careful while moving in the aisle; it was the first time ever while travelling that I wasn't constantly bumped as people walked around.
All in all, the feature really enhanced my trip. While I would definitely encourage people to give the Quiet Car a whirl the next time they take the train, be aware that the no cell phone policy and talking levels are strictly enforced; the conductor asked one woman to move to a different car after warning her to keep her voice down. But if it's peace and quiet you're after, I assure you- you'll be pleasantly surprised and may even want to start taking the train more often.
Happy trails everyone!
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