Bidding farewell to the sound of silence

Mobile phones can save lives, yet their use in situations that are far from life-threatening can be intensely maddening, rarely more so than in rail carriages.

“Quiet” carriages have provided a haven for passengers who do not want to hear people telling other people that they’re on the train, or show-off business executives keeping tabs on what’s going on back at the office, or inane chatter about last night’s date from hell or a nightmare holiday in Cancun.