URPA’s view of Amtrak
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There have been some questions about the stance of URPA on the group’s position on the future of Amtrak as it exists today.
Allow me to clarify the position:
If the current structure of Amtrak, with all of the advantages afforded it by Congress, including the right to access freight lines and other benefits can be salvaged and continued to be of good use in the future, then it should stay as the umbrella organization of a future passenger rail system.
Our belief is that after 30 years, the Amtrak name is recognized by many Americans and international tourists as a good name and has high good will value.
We disagree with current Amtrak senior management who wish to hide behind new names, new logos, and other wasteful efforts that cosmetic changes such as these will benefit North American rail travel. Instead, to many, these are desperate actions of uninformed managers that are putting a company through death throes such as were seen in such American commercial ventures as Eastern Air Lines, Pan Am, the Rock Island Railroad, PennCentral, and other corporate examples.
Passengers who are treated well and receive good service that meets expectations do not care if the rail car they travel in is painted red or green. They only care that their journey was a good one.
URPA is not afraid of the future and the fact that the future may hold something different than what we have today for passenger rail.
If drastic changes have to be made, then they must be made. Reasonable and rational leaders will not completely kill a passenger rail system without a replacement that will have at least the same advantages, such as access to freight right of ways. It would be ignorant and imprudent to advocate the demise of a current system in favor of a system that had less advantages. Any new system would have to have more advantages than the current system.
While all of the officers of URPA have good relationships with many Amtrak managers and others prominent in the running of the corporation, no URPA officer is willing to march lockstep in line with Amtrak simply because the company demands loyalty in exchange for a relationship or access to decision makers.
Loyalty is not something that is given, it is something that is earned. URPA has disagreements with how Amtrak is operated and the goals of the current senior management. Therefore, it is inherent that a civilized divide will remain, with credit given when credit is due, but constructive criticism offered when that is due, too.
Amtrak does many things right on a daily basis, and the company has many good employees. But, it is not the business of URPA to be a promotional arm for Amtrak, VIA Rail Canada, BCRail, or any other passenger rail carrier. It is the business of URPA to identify areas which can be improved and offer solutions.
