2023-08-01 05:38:00
The train gets underway and, quickly, most heads lean over the phone screens, earphones screwed into their ears, as recommended by the instructions displayed inside the car. Again, the message is clear. In this compartment, headphones and silent mode are required. Calls must be made mezzo voce.
SNCB and punctuality is still a disaster: one in seven trains does not arrive on time Since 24 January, SNCB has been testing silent compartments. ©SNCB
Response pending
SNCB launched the first silent compartment on 24 January. The principle is simple: in dedicated cars, travelers are asked to respect the calm. A way to promote the concentration of those who would like to work or take advantage of the journey to rest. The test phase was to extend until the end of May. The SNCB finally plays the extensions, without however deciding if the principle will be perpetuated. “The quiet zones are maintained until the final decision”, indicates the railway company without taking the risk of giving a precise agenda. First implemented on the Eupen-Ostend line, they were then installed on the Brussels-Luxembourg axis.
The project, developed by SNCB’s Innovation Lab, responds to a survey conducted by the railway company among its users. It showed that 7 out of 10 travelers liked the idea of a quieter compartment and 30% of respondents said they would take the train more frequently if a quiet zone was offered. Also according to this survey, one in three passengers said they had already been disturbed by the noise of other passengers on board the train.
Since this year, user satisfaction has been taken into account in the calculation of the SNCB allocation
Attract travelers
“We came here because there was space,” explains Thomas, who hadn’t noticed the signs at the entrance. “We understood that we were in a special wagon after sitting down. We try not to make too much noise,” he says, playing chess on his phone.
”I’m expecting a girlfriend, I didn’t know it was a special zone. At least here, I have a seat”, testifies Clara, who goes to a job interview. A few seats further, a lady is reading a book. “I came to this wagon by chance. I saw through the windows that there were seats left, she admits, raising her head from her book. But I don’t really see the difference compared to the usual second class”.
In the car, silence is relative. Bursts of conversations – including comments on that chess game observed earlier – sometimes drown out the sound of the moving train. One group, visibly Spanish-speaking, ignores the inscription “Zone de silence – Stiltezone” displayed above their heads. On the back row, a sound of chips crunching under the tooth resounds. Food, no matter how noisy, is not prohibited.
In this summer period, there are almost no commuters in this car. This is however one of the targets of this SNCB offer. In particular, this would allow the company to better distribute the flow of workers who opt for the train, whose journeys are now concentrated during peak hours. Transforming the train into a place of work certainly goes through a transformation into a place conducive to concentration, but also to a better connection. However, the silent compartments are classic cars, without additional charging sockets for laptops, for example. No stable internet connection either.
Peace without supplement
In this same train that travels to the capital, the first class carriage is sparse. A few travelers doze on the soft seats, others strum on computers in a discreet keyboard sound. This subdued atmosphere, certainly more conducive to concentration, however, has a price. On this route, the ticket costs almost 50% extra. The silent compartment does not involve a supplement.
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Sometimes there are people who listen to music or speak a little too loudly. But we show them the pictogram and they lower their voices. And those who really want to talk, we tell them if there are places left in the traditional cars
“The quiet cars work quite well”, assures this controller, a regular on the Luxembourg-Brussels line. “People weren’t very aware at first, but now travelers understand the meaning of these cars. So, yes, sometimes there are people who listen to music or talk a little too loudly. But we show them the pictogram and they lower their voices. And those who really want to talk, we tell them if there are places left in the traditional cars.
There is indeed no question of sanction, not as it is for example planned in the Netherlands – even if the risk of receiving the fine of 140 euros is very low. “We rely more on the kindness and respect of travelers,” concludes the guide.
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