Commuters who are in search of some tranquillity while travelling by train can now look forward to silent zones or quiet carriages on Belgium's main IC connections between major cities. SNCB will put these carriages in place in the coming weeks and months.
A trial period for quiet zones on SNCB trains was launched in January 2023 in trains on the line between Eupen and Osten and Brussels to Luxembourg. Passengers could choose between a normal carriage, where they could chat as usual with friends or colleagues, or in a quiet carriage in which silence was encouraged for concentration and rest. Passengers – both commuters and people travelling for leisure – were very positive about this the national railway operator said.
"Nine in 10 passengers who took seats in the silence zone said they were satisfied with the concept," Dimitri Temmerman, SNCB's spokesperson, said. "More than half said they would take the train more often as a result."
Phones on silent, no talking
The company is therefore expanding the concept, starting today (Tuesday 24 September). By next summer, 65% of passengers between major cities will be able to sit in a silent carriage. "The need for silence is greatest on the longer routes, which is why we chose to roll it out on its main IC connections, i.e. the trains between major cities that most travellers also use," Temmerman explained.
Credit: SNCB
The zones are marked by stickers and pictograms inside and outside the carriage, showing a person holding their finger to their lips. For now, they will be found on the main IC connections between major cities and will always be located on the ground floor of the double-decker carriages. One train may have several coaches with a silence zone.
Once passengers enter these special carriages, they are asked not to talk or talk loudly on the phone, to put their phones on silent and not to turn up the volume of headphones or earphones too loud.
The offer is being systematically expanded. The Eupen-Ostend and Brussels-Luxembourg lines will soon be joined by connections such as Kortrijk-Schaerbeek, Genk-Blankenberge, Antwerp-Charleroi and Brussels-Namur.
