News Release National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marc Magliari (312) 880-5390
ATK-05-088
October 27, 2005
"Quiet Car" Service Starts October 31 Aboard Hiawatha Trains Between Chicago & Milwaukee
"Silence, Please" Policy Quiets Cell Phones and Loud Talk
CHICAGO - Amtrak will designate a single Quiet CarSM on each of its 14 daily Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee starting Oct. 31, in response to the cars' popularity and success on other routes elsewhere in Amtrak's national network.
"In today's business world, being connected and able to work from the road is an advantage. Amtrak realizes that, and so we enable cell phone, pager and personal computer use on-board our trains," said Amtrak Central Division General Superintendent Don Saunders. "But it is clear that there is also a market for peace and quiet, and providing one car on each Hiawatha Service train where travelers can unplug is also an advantage for us."
The Hiawathas are an increasingly popular way for travelers to shun high gasoline prices, tolls and parking charges between Milwaukee and Chicago - and make the trip from downtown-to-downtown faster than flying. The Hiawatha Service trains topped the half-million mark with 525,239 tickets sold in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, an increase of 14.1 percent.
There are seven round-trips on the route Mondays through Saturdays and six round-trips on Sundays. The trains are supported by the states of Wisconsin and Illinois.
While riding in the Quiet Cars, passengers are asked to refrain from using cell phones, pagers and loud computer programs or engaging in loud conversation.
"Many of our passengers are telling us they use their train trip to unwind after a meeting or long day at the office, read the paper or catch up on their sleep," said Saunders. "They can't do that as well when the rest of the car is buzzing and ringing with calls home and to the office."
Amtrak is placing signs on the Quiet Cars and will put notices on the trains to help inform passengers. Seats in the Quiet Cars do not require a special reservation - they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about Amtrak's Quiet Cars, look on-line at Amtrak.com (copied below).
Quiet CarSM is a service mark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
In an unrelated service improvement, all Hiawatha Service trains will accept checked baggage between Chicago and Milwaukee, also effective Oct. 31.
About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.
# # #
Many corridor trains feature Quiet Car service, intended to provide a quiet atmosphere for those who want to work or rest without distraction.
To help ensure that our Quiet Cars live up to their name, please follow the guidelines below.
Silence, Please: Customers are expected to speak only in subdued tones. If you'd like to carry on an extended conversation, please relocate to another car.
Customers may not use any devices making noise, including:
cellular phones
pagers
handheld games
laptop computers with audible features enabled
Customers using headphones must keep the volume low and so that it cannot be heard by neighboring passengers.
Amtrak personnel may ask passengers who fail to follow these guidelines to relocate to another car.
-- from Amtrak.com, "Traveling With Amtrak"
