The Metro-North is launching a Quiet Car pilot program on its Hudson and Harlem lines beginning Monday, Oct. 17, the agency announced Thursday.
The new program will be instituted on select peak-hour trains, according to a press release from Metro-North.
The last car on certain morning peak trains and the first car on certain evening peak trains will be set aside for customers "who would like an environment free of cell phones, loud conversations and all manners of beeps and buzzes," said Metro-North.
Cell phones, iPods, DVD players, laptops, and other electronic devices will be banned from the quiet cars, unless they can be used in a way they stay silent, said Metro-North. Passengers wearing headphones will have to keep the volume low enough so that others can't hear the sound.
The program will be voluntary in nature, and customers are expected to monitor themselves, said Metro-North, though conductors may issue "Shh" cards to customers who are non-compliant.
The agency said it will evaluate customer reaction to the pilot program and decide whether to expand it.
A similar pilot program on other Metro-North lines and on some New Jersey Transit lines was well-received and recently expanded to all of their peak trains.
