Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Do we still have ?active? UK quiet coaches ?
I have seen some still labelled on the 159?s on the West of England line
but now most people have a phone ,tablet and some bluetooth head phones or earbuds that seem to be of a better quality than in the past the noise
level seems to have dropped. Loud ?look at me? ringtones like the crazyfrog seem to have gone out of fashion and the tish tish sounds escaping from earpieces seems to be less now.
You still get the odd irritating person but they will often be the type who would ignore the quite coach signs anyway. A frequent culprit is often a business person who while they may be wearing earpieces
speak louder than they need to often giving away important details.
I got one to tone it down a bit by noting down their number they had just
read out to whoever they were speaking and when they finished rang them
quoting some sensitive bits of the conversion.
?Where are you ?? came an irritated reply , Crewkerne I replied , there was
a pause till I continued and in 10 minutes we will be in Yeovil. His next conversations were suitable muted.

GH

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* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In message <n5h2n9Fsro9U1@mid.individual.net>, at 13:11:05 on Thu, 30
Apr 2026, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> remarked:

Loud "look at me" ringtones like the crazyfrog seem to have gone out of
fashion

It's what I have on my Smartphone. (a) For the retro vibe, but also (b) because in a room full of phones I know that it's mine which is ringing.
--
Roland Perry

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach.
Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Avanti have quiet coaches. It depends on what you mean by 'active'. Is
this the same concept as seats reserved for those 'less able to stand'
or active vaping is not allowed on the platform?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. >>> Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Avanti have quiet coaches. It depends on what you mean by 'active'.

By active I mean mean people seeking them out for quiet and those who want
to use a phone ,play a video* or converse loudly seek accommodation
elsewhere or behave as the quiet coach notice suggests, that is if they actually notice it. I don?t know about other TOCs but South Western
Railway
expect the users to do so but will not actually enforce the rules.

Cut and Pasted from their website

<?Quiet Coaches on Our Trains
At Southwestern Railway, we aim to provide a comfortable and enjoyable
journey for all our customers. On many of our services, we offer a
designated Quiet Coach ? a space intended for those who prefer a calmer environment to relax, read, or work quietly.

However, we?d like our customers to be aware of the following:

Not all trains have a Quiet Coach. The availability of Quiet Coaches
depends on the type of train operating the service.
During busy periods, particularly at peak times, maintaining a consistently quiet environment in these coaches may not always be possible due to higher passenger volumes.
Our on-board staff are not able to enforce Quiet Coach rules. While we encourage all customers to respect the purpose of these spaces, staff
cannot compel customers to remain silent or relocate.
We kindly ask all customers seated in a Quiet Coach to be considerate of
others by keeping noise to a minimum and using devices discreetly.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us make rail
travel more enjoyable for everyone.?>

GH

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach.
Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Do we still have ?active? UK quiet coaches ?

C2C trains out of Fenchurch Street.
<snip>

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 30 Apr 2026 18:57:36 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. >>>> Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Avanti have quiet coaches. It depends on what you mean by 'active'.

By active I mean mean people seeking them out for quiet and those who want
to use a phone ,play a video* or converse loudly seek accommodation >elsewhere or behave as the quiet coach notice suggests, that is if they >actually notice it. I don?t know about other TOCs but South Western
Railway
expect the users to do so but will not actually enforce the rules.

Cut and Pasted from their website

<?Quiet Coaches on Our Trains
At Southwestern Railway, we aim to provide a comfortable and enjoyable >journey for all our customers. On many of our services, we offer a
designated Quiet Coach ? a space intended for those who prefer a calmer >environment to relax, read, or work quietly.

However, we?d like our customers to be aware of the following:

Not all trains have a Quiet Coach. The availability of Quiet Coaches
depends on the type of train operating the service.
During busy periods, particularly at peak times, maintaining a consistently >quiet environment in these coaches may not always be possible due to higher >passenger volumes.
Our on-board staff are not able to enforce Quiet Coach rules. While we >encourage all customers to respect the purpose of these spaces, staff
cannot compel customers to remain silent or relocate.
We kindly ask all customers seated in a Quiet Coach to be considerate of >others by keeping noise to a minimum and using devices discreetly.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us make rail >travel more enjoyable for everyone.?>

'Aspirational' then? They say the are 'not able' to enforce the
'rules' presumably because it would be impossible to draft a byelaw
with suitable exemptions, for example communicating an intention to go
to the toilet, calling BTP, calling for assistance in the event of a
train crash etc. Also, is the train operator breaching its own rules
by making excessive announcements?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:27:18 +0100, Charles Ellson <charlesellson@btinternet.com> wrote:

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. >>> Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Do we still have ?active? UK quiet coaches ?

C2C trains out of Fenchurch Street.
<snip>

I just changed my seat reservation on Avanti away from the Quiet coach
(A) to avoid any possibility of arguments occurring.

I think my all-time favourite Avanti announcement was: 'For those
passengers looking for the unreserved coaches, FU'.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 30 Apr 2026 18:57:36 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On 30 Apr 2026 13:11:05 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:

Got on board a Dutch train and unknowingly ended up in a ?silence? coach. >>>> Somewhat different to a UK quiet coach. We got told off by a fellow
passenger for talking to each other. More monastic silence order.

Avanti have quiet coaches. It depends on what you mean by 'active'.

By active I mean mean people seeking them out for quiet and those who want
to use a phone ,play a video* or converse loudly seek accommodation >elsewhere or behave as the quiet coach notice suggests, that is if they >actually notice it. I don?t know about other TOCs but South Western
Railway
expect the users to do so but will not actually enforce the rules.

Cut and Pasted from their website

<?Quiet Coaches on Our Trains
At Southwestern Railway, we aim to provide a comfortable and enjoyable >journey for all our customers. On many of our services, we offer a
designated Quiet Coach ? a space intended for those who prefer a calmer >environment to relax, read, or work quietly.

However, we?d like our customers to be aware of the following:

Not all trains have a Quiet Coach. The availability of Quiet Coaches
depends on the type of train operating the service.
During busy periods, particularly at peak times, maintaining a consistently >quiet environment in these coaches may not always be possible due to higher >passenger volumes.
Our on-board staff are not able to enforce Quiet Coach rules.

Yes they can.

Byelaw 6
(8) No person shall molest or wilfully interfere with the comfort or convenience of any person on the railway.

Byelaw 7
(1) 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.

While we
encourage all customers to respect the purpose of these spaces, staff
cannot compel customers to remain silent or relocate.

Oh, yes they can.

Byelaw 24(2)
(i) Any person who is reasonably believed by an authorised person to
be in breach of any of these Byelaws shall leave the railway
immediately if asked to do so by an authorised person.
(ii)Any person who is reasonably believed by an authorised person to
be in breach of any of these Byelaws and who fails to desist or leave
when asked to do so by an authorised person may be removed from the
railway by an authorised person using reasonable force. This right of
removal is in addition to the imposition of any penalty for the breach
of these Byelaws.
(iii) No person shall fail to carry out the instructions of an
authorised person acting in accordance with powers given by these
Byelaws or any other enactment.

(and onward to the Magistrates/Sheriff Court)

We kindly ask all customers seated in a Quiet Coach to be considerate of >others by keeping noise to a minimum and using devices discreetly.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us make rail >travel more enjoyable for everyone.?>

GH

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)