Version XXXIV – This Was The Week That Was – An Amtrak Saga

December 28, 2001

Random thoughts at the end of the year.

1. Some Amtrak observers are astounded that Amtrak has met the end of Calendar Year 2001 and has not filed bankruptcy, even with all of the free federal money it has received.
2. Even more Amtrak observers are more astounded that Amtrak senior management is still in place and running the company after the ARC finding in November that the company’s business plan has been an abysmal failure and the company will not meet the congressional mandate of self sufficiency by December, 2002.
3. Persistent rumors abound that Amtrak’s top paid officer and the former number two officer in the company have both departed for greener pastures. One has not been spotted in or near Amtrak headquarters for days, and the other is said to be highly annoyed that someone else is sharing power in the number two slot.
4. Amtrak is concluding the year without a fair number of former managers, including one senior vice president in Washington, a vice president here in Jacksonville, Florida, and some other stalwarts that had seen the company through both good and bad times.
5. February 7, 2002 is nearly upon us. That’s the day the ARC recommendation for restructuring will go to Congress, if on schedule. Here’s best wishes to the ARC to help them accomplish this difficult task in a short period of time under less than ideal conditions.

And, for the last time this year, the only good system for the New Amtrak is a truly national system that includes both long distance trains and corridors. Either without the other is unacceptable. Anything less than a complete system will not solve the problems of the past 30 years, and will only create a new set of problems for the future.

Happy New Year to all, and to all good bye for 2001. Thank you for allowing your humble correspondent to enter your e-mail boxes with TW3 for the past 34 weeks.