(Maryland television station WBAL posted the following story on its website on January 21.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak has expanded a program that initiated on a train originating from Washington and Baltimore five years ago. Now, the idea has spread to Amtrak’s Acela trains.
Amtrak officials announced Wednesday that all Acela Express trains will offer quiet cars during the weekends. In those cars, passengers are asked to refrain from using cell phones, pagers or any other noisy electronic device, and conversations should be kept to a whisper.
The Acela trains attract business travelers in the Northeast corridor. Amtrak officials said the program originated when a group of passengers asked a train conductor to designate a cell-phone free car. The program later grew and expanded to all weekday trains on the Northeast corridor, including the Acela Express, Metroliners and regional routes.