A Quieter Commute Coming For NJ Transit Riders

The trip to work in the morning is about to get a little more peaceful for some riders on NJ Transit’s trains from Rockland County.

The railroad, which operates commuter service in Rockland under a contract with the MTA and its Metro-North Commuter Railroad, says it is rolling out is Quiet Commute program for trains bound for the Hoboken, NJ, terminal. 

“As NJ TRANSIT gets ready to roll out the final phase of the Quiet Commute program, I’d like to thank our customers and employees for their invaluable feedback during the initial pilot program and subsequent expansion earlier this year,” said NJ Transit Executive Director James Wein. “Quiet Commute has received a very positive response so far, and we look forward to hearing from customers on our remaining lines who will soon be able to experience Quiet Commute for themselves.” 

 In Rockland, Metro-North Commuter Railroad President Howard Permut said the Quiet Commute program includes the rush-hour only ‘quiet car’ concept on Port Jervis and Pascack Valley line trains. The Pasckack Valley Line has stations in Spring Valley, Nanuet and Pearl River.

“We have been monitoring this program in New Jersey and if the idea is well received by commuters in Orange and Rockland counties, we may initiate it on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines,” Permut said.    

NJ Transit says Quiet Commute cars are intended to provide a subdued environment for customers who wish to refrain from using cell phones and are willing to disable the sound feature on pagers, games, computers and other electronic devices.  Conversations should be conducted in subdued voices, and headphones should be used at a volume that cannot be heard by other passengers.

NJ Transit plans on starting Quiet Commute cars to all peak-period, peak- direction trains that begin or end their trips at Hoboken Terminal on June 1.  Quiet Commute cars will be offered on trains that arrive in Hoboken between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and trains that depart Hoboken between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.  This will expand the program to include the Pascack Valley, Main, Bergen County and Port Jervis lines, as well as additional trains on the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines.

The Quiet Commute car will be the first car on peak-period trains traveling into Hoboken, and the last car on trains departing Hoboken, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. 

NJ Transit launched the Quiet Commute program in September 2010 on its busiest trains — “3900-series” Northeast Corridor trains that operate express to and from Trenton, Hamilton and Princeton Junction — to test the feasibility of offering the amenity on its rail system. The 3900-series was selected for the pilot because the trains’ relatively long trip times and regularly high ridership provide an ideal testing environment. 

Conductors inform customers of Quiet Commute expectations by using specially designed business cards that explain the program in English and Spanish.  The cards are intended to gently remind customers of their location without disturbing others on the car.