Popularity of the Quiet Car?

[MARC Rider]

I have to go down to Washington tomorrow, and given the reduction in late morning Northeast Regional trains, I'm taking the Acela, especially since I snagged a pretty cheap Saver fare. They assigned me a seat in car 5, and it was an aisle seat, there not being too any window seats left, except at tables, either facing backward or limited recline. I flipped through the seating chart for all the cars, and lo and behold, I get to car 2, the Quiet Car, and lots of seats are available. So, of course, I change my seat. Not only do I have my window seat to myself (so far), the Quiet Car is at the front end of the train, right behind Forst Class, and thus the closest to the station.

This sort of raises a question. Back when I used to ride from Washington frequently, the Quiet Car (Acela or Northeast Regional) was also at the south end of the train, right ahead of First/Business class. This usually meant that when you boarded at Washington, the Quiet car always filled up first. It could be kind of an annoyance if you wanted a Quiet car and boarded in Baltimore only to find the car was full. But going southbound, the Quiet car is at the front end of the train in Boston (not that most riders ride all the way from Boston to Washington), and also in New York. Thus, the Quiet Car would be farthest from the gate at South Station, but closest to the Escalators at Moynihan Train Hall. At Philadelphia, it's at the end of the platform, and someone would have to make a conscious decision to head for the Quiet Car. The question is, How many people are making an effort to ride in a Quiet Car, and how many who ride in the Quiet car do so just because it's the most convenient car on the train to where they enter the platform?

Anyway, I'm happy to be riding the Quiet Car, at least I won't have to listen to half of a telephone conversation disturbing my ride.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I suspect with the assigned seating on the Acela, the Quiet Car is the last one assigned and perhaps many people who might want it don’t think to change their seating. Is it “marked” Quiet Car on the seating chart?
I’d say your theory about the location of the car relative to the platform is probably spot on.
I know that I don’t notice the signs indicating it’s the quiet car when I’m boarding. Sometimes I will remember to look for the signs. Since I travel alone and don’t use my phone for voice calls, it doesn’t matter if I’m it because I won’t disturb others.

 

[MARC Rider]

Is it “marked” Quiet Car on the seating chart?

Yes.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Yes.

I’ll have to remember that the next time I travel on Acela

 

[City of Miami]

I seek the QC on my trains, the Lynchburger, which is second from last car, so its location is best/worst at most stations depending on direction of travel. It's often crowded even when least convenient.

 

[truncated]

But going southbound, the Quiet car is at the front end of the train in Boston (not that most riders ride all the way from Boston to Washington), and also in New York. Thus, the Quiet Car would be farthest from the gate at South Station, but closest to the Escalators at Moynihan Train Hall. At Philadelphia, it's at the end of the platform, and someone would have to make a conscious decision to head for the Quiet Car. The question is, How many people are making an effort to ride in a Quiet Car, and how many who ride in the Quiet car do so just because it's the most convenient car on the train to where they enter the platform?

Going southbound although the Quiet Car is the farthest from the gate at South Station it's also the closest to the escalators at Back Bay, so in the pre-assigned seating days although it may be empty at BOS by the time you get to BBY it can fill up (and even with assigned seating somehow plenty of people don't realize to check their car number and just take the first empty seat they see).

But that said with the shift to assigned seating seats in the Quiet Car are assigned last, and most passengers don't bother going into the app and switching seats, and so I've been on several trains where the Quiet Car is the emptiest (even on a Saturday morning).

And speaking as someone who travels mostly BBY-NYP the location of the Quiet Car is perfect for me in both directions (closest to the BBY escalators and Moynihan), and the whole not having to listen in to phone calls, ability to reserve a seat, and seats in the car being assigned last makes things even better.

 

[bratkinson]

In 2018 & 2019, I found that the quiet car on the Acela was almost always at the WAS end of the train, but ONLY on those going to/from BOS. On the other hand, it's 50/50 as to which end it will be on if the train starts or terminates in NYP as they simply loop the train in Sunnyside and send it back to WAS. At least, that's what I usually found. About mid 2019, I decided to simply 'play the middle' of the platform. If the first car past me on an inbound Acela was First Class, I hustled in that direction to get the quiet car. If not, I simply went the opposite direction and ended up pretty close to the entrance I wanted.

NEC BOS-WAS regionals, usually put the quiet car adjacent to the business class car and they always turned/looped the train at each end point. If the Vermonter is any guide (from years past), regionals with a split Cafe/BC car do NOT have a quiet car due to their shorter consists and/or endpoint turning limitations.

 

[MARC Rider]

But that said with the shift to assigned seating seats in the Quiet Car are assigned last,

Ah, that explains much.