“We saw this as a way to improve the customer experience without spending a lot of money — or actually, any money,’’ Davey said.
The program received rave reviews by passengers during a trial on the Fitchburg and Franklin line between January and April. When the MBTA surveyed commuters, about 90 percent said they hoped the program would become permanent.
Yesterday afternoon, many commuter rail line passengers were unaware of the quiet cars’ existence, but MBTA officials were looking to fix that: Announcements on the speakers notified commuters in North and South stations that each commuter train now has a quiet zone, while mimes distributed cards outlining the do’s and don’ts of quiet-car decorum.
But quiet is in the ear of the beholder. Davey defined it as “a library volume.’’
“I mean, having a newspaper in your hands and the noise that comes from turning the pages is acceptable,’’ he said.
Davey said the program was inspired by similar initiatives, such as the Metra Rail line in Chicago. Amtrak has had a quiet car program for more than 10 years.
Beginning in April, conductors received training on how to implement the quiet zones, said Davey. They will make regular announcements to notify passengers that cellphone use and noisy conversations are banned on the first car. And if passengers fail to follow the guidelines, a conductor will hand them cards reminding them to keep quiet.
If problems arise with passengers unwilling to adhere to the quiet car guidelines, those cases will be handled by MBTA Transit Police, said Scott Farmelant, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co.
“Conductors are not, by any means, supposed to be enforcers on these trains,’’ he said.
Davey is also relying on a certain Bostonian chutzpah to help enforce the rules. Peer pressure, he said, will probably be enough to keep cellphone users in check.
Commuters in South Station yesterday afternoon said they are accustomed to enduring transgressions of public transportation decorum on trains — blaring iPod earbuds, boisterous conversations, howls of laughter from a commuter watching a sitcom on a laptop, and cellphone calls conducted at a bellow.
