Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian has announced intercity train customers on the Newcastle and Central Coast Line will have ‘quiet carriages’ as a permanent feature of their daily commute.
Ms Berejiklian also announced quiet carriages would be trialled for three months on all intercity trains on the South Coast Line between Kiama and Central and the Blue Mountains Line between Lithgow and Central from 1 June.
The decision to implement more quiet carriages was made based on feedback received from customers during the three-month trial on the Newcastle and Central Coast Line which started on 13 February.
“The NSW Government announced significant changes to fix the trains aimed at improving customer service and cleanliness on the railways,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“There is a lot of work to do to deliver the level of service customers deserve but I am confident the quiet carriages initiative will make a tangible improvement to the journey of longer distance train customers.
“Nearly 90 per cent of respondents to a Transport for NSW survey on the quiet carriages trial said travelling in quiet carriages had improved their overall travel experience.
“In a further vote of support for the initiative, 98 per cent of quiet carriage customers surveyed indicated they intended to continue using quiet carriages in the future.
“Due to the success of the Newcastle and Central Coast trial we now want to see if customers from the Illawarra and Blue Mountains feel the same way.”
Customers travelling in quiet carriages are asked to refrain from loud talking, playing loud music and using mobile phones.
The first and last carriages of all six and eight carriage trains and the last carriage of four carriage trains on the lines will be designated ‘quiet carriages’.
