United Rail Passenger Alliance

Volume 3 Number 2

1. There is hope, after all. Last week, Amtrak’s Vice President, Transportation left the company. The gentleman in question is someone who had been with Amtrak for a number of years, all in high level posts, including as one of the last presidents of Amtrak Intercity before it was folded back into the previous corporate structure. We are all grateful the gentleman is pursuing other avenues of employment. Could this be the beginning of a process of sweeping out so many of the failed executives at Amtrak and beginning a search of competence instead of good old boy connections? Could Amtrak Acting President David Hughes now be holding his managers personally responsible for their areas of authority, and demanding more than “business as usual?”If this move is the result of Mr. Hughes taking action to improve Amtrak, then more power to him. The job of Vice President, Transportation is a major post within Amtrak that requires a combination of railroad skills and a complete understanding of the needs of passengers. The people who run the railroad – make the trains run, staff the mechanical forces, etc. have to understand the big picture beyond just making sure all the components for a full train consist exist. They must also understand the needs of passengers and onboard services crews, and how the operating and mechanical forces meet those needs for the convenience of passengers, not the operating department.
2. There was even more welcome news last week from the White House. President Bush, using recess appointments, reappointed Floyd Hall and Enrique Sosa as members of the Amtrak Board of Directors. They were originally appointed nearly two years ago in a similar scenario, and the Senate has shamelessly yet to act on their confirmations.There is suspicion that Democrat members of the Senate (euphemistically referred to as “Amtrak supporters”) have blocked the confirmation of Mr. Hall and Mr. Sosa for various political gain reasons. What are these Senators afraid of with these two well-qualified nominees? Are the Senators afraid that Mr. Hall and Mr. Sosa, along with Chairman of the Board David Laney are going to bring standard business practices to Amtrak? Are they afraid that these astute businessmen – well respected professionals each and every one in their chosen fields – are going to expose the “follow the money trail” to the Northeast Corridor where so many federal funds are unnecessarily used on what at best could be described as a limited regional interest and poorest choice for investment of federal capital into Amtrak?

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