New Jersey Transit expanding 'quiet trains' program

HOBOKEN (WABC) -- New Jersey Transit says it is expanding its 'Quiet Commute' program to off-peak trains that serve Hoboken Terminal.

The pilot program will be launched May 5th, NJ Transit says, in response to recommendations from customers.

"We heard from our customers that they want to enjoy the benefits of Quiet Commute cars on trains during off-peak hours in addition to peak periods, and we are taking action based directly on their recommendations," said NJT 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."

Starting May 5, NJ TRANSIT will add Quiet Commute cars to all off-peak trains arriving and departing Hoboken Terminal between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays only. This includes trains on the Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Main, Bergen County and Port Jervis lines, along with the 2300-series trains on the North Jersey Coast Line.

The designated Quiet Commute car will be the first car on trains traveling into Hoboken, and the last car on trains departing Hoboken, 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 quiet voices, and headphones should be used at a volume that cannot be heard by other passengers.

Customers may currently take advantage of the Quiet Commute amenity on all peak-period, peak-direction trains, as follows:

On all Northeast Corridor "3900-series" express trains. The designated Quiet Commute cars are the first and last cars of each train.

On Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Midtown Direct and Raritan Valley line trains that arrive in Newark or New York between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and trains that depart Newark or New York between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The designated Quiet Commute cars are the first and last cars of each train.

On Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Main, Bergen County and Port Jervis line trains that arrive in Hoboken Terminal between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and depart Hoboken Terminal between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The designated Quiet Commute car is the first car on trains traveling into Hoboken, and the last car on trains departing Hoboken.

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 trainsto 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.