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A promotional video about the quiet carriage is played on a Beijing-Shanghai high-speed train, which links the two cities in China. Photo: Wang Xiang

High-speed trains in China add quiet carriages for travellers who don’t want to hear other passengers’ phones and loud conversations

  • In quiet cars passengers must use audio devices with headphones and leave the carriage to take a phone call
  • Major cities are also trying to lower noise levels on subways by punishing people for using smartphones on speaker rather than earphones

Railways in China have unveiled quiet carriages on some high-speed trains.

According to the Ministry of Railways’ ticket booking service, passengers who travel on the Beijing-Shanghai and Chengdu-Chongqing routes can now choose to buy a seat in a quiet carriage.

The quiet carriage rules stipulate that headphones must be worn when listening to audio on a device, people must leave the carriage to take a phone call, and staff announcements will be made at a lower volume.

It’s a trial initiative in response to some passengers’ wish for a quiet environment, the announcement read.

Train staff at Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai advertise the quiet carriage initiative in front of a high-speed train before it travels to Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

The quiet carriages were introduced last week on the two high-speed-train routes. Quiet carriages are already in use in other parts of the world – including Australia, where passengers have applauded the initiative.

In China, there are differences in opinion about whether being noisy in public should be regarded as impolite because it can be interpreted as a sign of vibrancy and energy. For large swathes of China’s young generation, it is important to be quiet on public transport as a sign of respect to other passengers.

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Major cities in China are also trying to lower the noise levels on public transport by introducing “quiet cars” or punishing people for using their phone speakers with no headphones on the subway. A few weeks ago Shanghai, China’s largest city, banned subway riders from using speakers on their mobile devices.

From December 1, passengers on Shanghai’s subway trains are not allowed to make hands-free phone calls or play audio or videos on speakers to avoid annoying fellow passengers, according to a new regulation.

Last week, police detained a subway passenger for using the speaker on his mobile phone and hitting someone who attempted to stop him, local media reported. It was the first detention in the city under the newly introduced speaker ban.

A passenger in the quiet carriage of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed train turns his mobile phone onto silent mode. Photo: Xinhua

David Liu, a white-collar worker in his early 40s in Shanghai, said there is a generational difference in how people tolerate noise.

“Most often, it’s the elderly people who talk loudly. They’re not even aware that it’s rude to be noisy in public,” said the man, a frequent user of the high-speed railway between Shanghai and Beijing.

“Except for some of the elderly, I find most passengers on high-speed trains keep their voices low today. So I think maybe in two decades, all Chinese people will be quiet in public.”

China’s noisy commuters often draw complaints from expats. In his China blog, BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell said he would still be annoyed by the outbursts in public despite having lived in the country for over a decade.

A passenger takes a photo of a brochure introducing the quiet carriage initiative in a Beijing-Shanghai high-speed train. Photo: Xinhua

“The word most often used here to describe a great restaurant is not ‘moody’ nor ‘intimate’ nor ‘tasteful’ but renao. To be renao is to be bustling with noise and excitement,” he explained.

Unlike Seoul, London or Tokyo, which are similarly crowded but impressively quiet, Chinese megacities are as noisy as New York, he commented.

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