To think that each long distance train should have a “silent” coach?

[TheIsleOfTERF]

I travel by train a lot with work. Due to my autism and need to work on the train, I always book the “quiet” coach, which is sadly anything but!

Whenever I’ve discussed it on here etc., some people always argue “it’s the quiet coach, not the silent coach! I can have my chat/ phone call/ argument/ hen party as long as it’s not too loud!”

Therefore, should we not just have a silent coach instead? One carriage of no talk or calls? The other seven carriages can be for all that?!?

I was on a bus the other day and this woman was ringing all her friends to see if she could borrow 40 quid to go out on the lash. It was actually quite entertaining to guess whether she would get lucky or not.

I had a word on the train last night. Group of 6 women got on, one said oh this is the quiet carriage and still sat down and talked very loudly. I did say something they then talked quietly after one saying “clearly she doesn’t have any friends” (I wished they bloody moved, it was a very empty train)

Sure… that’s why we should rename it “silent”, no?

"Silent" isn't realistic. With the best will in the world people will still make some noise. I might have a random sneezing fit. I might cough. I might make a noise rummaging in my bag for something. I'm all for quiet but silent is impossible.

Until the train companies change how they do booking the quiet coach is never going to work.

i booked long distance train travel recently- one adult and 3 children. I had no idea until we got on that we were booked in the quiet coach. It was. 6 hour journey on a busy train. I kept the children as quiet as possible (and they’re never allowed screens without headphones) but it was far from ideal and I could tell a few people were pissed off at them chatting. The carriages either side were full and there was no way I could leave them longer than that to go seat hunting for an alternative.

so rude, particularly using ‘autistic’ as a pejorative term
in such an insulting and dismissive manner

I think ticket inspectors should issue fines on the spot to noisy passengers. It’s anti social behaviour.

Quiet carriages are a nice idea but unworkable . Unfortunately, people make noise. The idea that any group taken from the general public is going to manage silence for hours at a time has never been realistic and never will be. I'm not saying it's fair but you need a different solution that doesn't depend on others.

One problem I've found with the concept of "quiet coaches" is that people think that they've got carte blanche to watch TikTok with no headphones everywhere else - including trains with no quiet coach for me to escape to. Drives me around the twist. Bear in mind that no matter where you are on a train, Byelaw 7 applies:

Except with written permission from an Operator no person on the railway shall, to the annoyance of any person:~
(i) sing; or
(ii) use any instrument, article or equipment for the production or reproduction of sound

All other coaches should be quiet. You can have a quiet conversation or take a short call (if it's going to be any longer than "I've just left York, I'll see you in half an hour then move to the vestibule). The "quiet coach" meanwhile should be treated like a library - if you need to talk to someone, you whisper.

Perhaps instead of providing "quiet coaches", we should provide each train with a "loud coach". Then all of the morons can play their TikTok shorts out loud together and leave the rest of us in peace.

Agree with this and the train companies aren't invested in keeping the quiet coach as described either. It was always purely empty marketing - they put up a few signs and assumed that everyone would comply. They could never be bothered to actually do anything, that might cost money, heavens forbid!

There are some booking websites that allow you to book the quiet coach but I've never seen a ticket-purchasing method that allows the buyer to specify not to be in it. So you end up with the scenario described by a PP where she was travelling with three young children and found their seats located in the quiet coach with no way to move. It then ceases to become the quiet coach.

Unfortunately if a member of staff actually enforces the rules around making noise (not just in the Quiet Coach) and it escalates, they will get absolutely no support from management. In fact management will make it the fault of the poor conductor.

Trust me, I've first hand experience of the way that railway management will throw their staff under a train at the first opportunity.

We do. And we can still hear people's phone calls, etc

it can’t be observed currently.

I have just booked a short journey on a train that will be about three hours. was neither offered or told whether my coach is the quiet coach. They obviously now know how the train is made up. 15 min before train leaving and booking on that train operator app. I have travelled the full journey before and not been told.

I travel the journey a lot and frequently reservations are not observed because the train has been changed due to breakdown so all the carriages are the wrong letters.

Yhey won't. They wouldn't be able to hear their tik tok vids😂

But silent is only slightly less ambiguous. A lot of people want quiet so they can work - but typing on a laptop is a noise too, and one someone else might find irritating. Same with eating - can you eat in the silent carriage?

No-one has a right to silence. Would you be allowed to blow your nose or sneeze in that carriage, if you had a cold? If there was an emergency at home would they be allowed to take a call?

Just use headphones fgs. There are arseholes everywhere; you can get irate or choose to chill out.

In my utopian “silent” coach, people would be allowed to cough/ sneeze/ check tickets and so on as they can’t be helped. They just wouldn’t be allowed to make UNNECESSARY noise, such as chatting, watching TikTok without headphones, or having work meetings.

Although if you have a persistent cough etc, I’d argue that you should sit elsewhere.

Also, even if you do have an emergency phone call, you do still need to take it out of the carriage!

But why should we have to get headphones? Even then I can still hear people's loud noise over mine

Sneezes are pretty muffled when you sneeze into something. So you wouldn't spread whatever cold you have.
Walk out to take phone call.

It's really NOT as difficult as people seem to be making out on MN to not be giant fucking noise polluter in places designated as quiet.

Headphones also put people into position when they might not hear when something happens.

You've clearly not heard my sneezes. I could wake the dead. No polite little achoos for me. I get random sneezing fits that are pretty violent. I'd be frowned at in a normal carriage, let alone a quiet/silent carriage

So does my DH. Still manages to muffle them a bit. Not special. They gwt muffles because he doesn't want to snewze al over the place. Tones down the scream.
🤷