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Just two months after National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak) doubled the number of "Quiet Cars" available on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to four, it’s spreading the peace and tranquility to cars on 16 additional NEC trains.


Quiet Cars are business class cars in which Amtrak prohibits cell phones, pagers, loud computer programs and loud conversations.


"In today’s business world, being connected and able to work from the road is an advantage. Amtrak realizes that, and so we allow cell phone use on-board our trains," said Amtrak NEC President Stan Bagley in a prepared statement. "But it is clear that there is also a market for peace and quiet, and providing one car on each train where travelers can unplug is also an advantage for us."


As of April 2, Acela Regional trains 177 and 190 have Quiet Cars, as do eight additional northbound Metroliners between Washington, D.C., and New York, and six southbound Metroliners between New York and Washington.


Passengers wishing to ride in the Quiet Cars will be served on a first-come basis. Amtrak managers will ride on the cars while the program catches on, and continue to put notices on the seats to inform passengers. The company is working on signs to post on the cars.