Amtrak Disintegration Begins

[henryj]

No one wants to hear this.....but unfortunately it is happenning and pretty fast.

"More than one source from a host of contacts are confirming President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman appears to be experiencing some sort of difficult time with outbreaks of flying off the handle verbally at any given moment, without provocation. His targets are non-discriminatory – employees are not the only recipients."

"If Amtrak is going to survive in any semblance of what it is today as a nominal national system, there must be a new president and chief executive officer at the earliest moment.

Current President and CEO Joseph Boardman appears to not only be spinning out of control, but rapidly losing the confidence of many Amtrak stakeholders.

Finding a replacement for Mr. Boardman at this point in the political process is going to be difficult for a number of reasons, mostly related to the timing of the upcoming presidential election.

The best solution is to find a distinguished railroader – similar to the late Amtrak president Graham Claytor – with the ability to arrive in Washington quickly, take control of a company nearly devoid of competent senior operation personnel because of the ill-planned senior management buyout program, and attract other outside talent willing to pitch in on an interim or permanent basis and under his guidance, save Amtrak.

The ideal man is already an important part of Amtrak: Jeffrey R. Moreland, a member of Amtrak’s Board of Directors."

 

[Bob Dylan]

Henry: As a long time resident of the WAS area, and after 25 years of Govt. service, I am very familiar with rumours, sources etc. about almost everyone in WAS! (same thing here in Austin with the State weasels including our so called Gov.!)We have many members, friends and contacts that either work for or with Amtrak and I know of no-one, at this time, that has anything along these lines! If one of these "sources" reported such to be true, Id believe it! Until this happens, or Mr. Boardman has a public melt down, Ill reserve judgement until the evidence shows this to be true! Id guess that Mr. Boardman, being a long time survivor in Govt. will know when its time to "retire" or "pusue other opportunities", right now he's done a magnificient job of keeping Amtrak running and dodging the flack being thrown by the politicians towards Amtrak! If you have any credible sources Ill take your word, NOTHING surprises me when it comes to Government! (or Life for that matter)Seeing will be believing! The biggest thing in WAS is the 2012 elections, its everyone for themselves just like always, everything else will sort of be on hold until the smoke clears and we see who is elected to run the show!

 

[henryj]

Henry: As a long time resident of the WAS area, and after 25 years of Govt. service, I am very familiar with rumours, sources etc. about almost everyone in WAS! (same thing here in Austin with the State weasels including our so called Gov.!)We have many members, friends and contacts that either work for or with Amtrak and I know of no-one, at this time, that has anything along these lines! If one of these "sources" reported such to be true, Id believe it! Until this happens, or Mr. Boardman has a public melt down, Ill reserve judgement until the evidence shows this to be true! Id guess that Mr. Boardman, being a long time survivor in Govt. will know when its time to "retire" or "pusue other opportunities", right now he's done a magnificient job of keeping Amtrak running and dodging the flack being thrown by the politicians towards Amtrak! If you have any credible sources Ill take your word, NOTHING surprises me when it comes to Government! (or Life for that matter)Seeing will be believing! The biggest thing in WAS is the 2012 elections, its everyone for themselves just like always, everything else will sort of be on hold until the smoke clears and we see who is elected to run the show!

Jim I appreciate the reply and of couse, No I don't have any confirmation of this other than what Bruce Richardson posted in his weekly letter. I of course hope he is wrong, but we shall see as this current shake up going on could be causing a lot of problems. It may take some time for it to show up or it may all be just more rumors.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Henry:Thanks for the post! After reading Tom's post of the URPA Newsletter, Im a little more sure that guys like Gil Carmichael are the ones pushing these rumours, this guy is about as credible as John "Sell the NEC" Mica and his Gang of NO-Nothings in Congress when it comes to things Amtrak! Id think that Joe Boardman could leave tomorrow and snag a "Consultants" slot that would make him some "real money"as they say in Washington! And for sure it would be easier duty in the pressure cooker that is Washington!" Id think that there are plenty of Qualified people who could run Amtrak in place of Mr. Boardman, some are members of this forum including me!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Keep us posted if you hear more!

 

[NE933]

So what does it all mean? If it means anything, that is..

 

[Trogdor]

I find that anything URPA writes, particularly if it comes from Bruce Richardson, is worse than meaningless.

 

[afigg]

I find that anything URPA writes, particularly if it comes from Bruce Richardson, is worse than meaningless.

Yes, I don't pay much attention to the URPA columns and the thread. The URPA columns by Richardson come off as rather excitable and not very well informed. Boardman is probably stepping on more than a few toes of entrenched managers with this latest re-organization because Boardman knows that he has to cut management overhead and staff to make Amtrak into a more competitive and responsive operation. Some of those being pushed out are trying to undercut Boardman. The people who matter in this situation are the Amtrak board and probably LaHood. If they are satisfied with the progress they see, Boardman remains in his job.

 

[Ryan]

Didn't we discuss this rumor a week or two ago and conclude that it was a load of crap?

Edit: Yep.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/44658-turmoil-within-the-amtrak-organization/page__p__333341__hl__boardman__fromsearch__1#entry333341

 

[Montanan]

I find that anything URPA writes, particularly if it comes from Bruce Richardson, is worse than meaningless.

Pretty much my opinion, as well. He's just a professional malcontent, and his rantings got old an awful long time ago.

 

[Ryan]

I find that anything URPA writes, particularly if it comes from Bruce Richardson, is worse than meaningless.

Pretty much my opinion, as well. He's just a professional malcontent, and his rantings got old an awful long time ago.

I agree with this as well. If he told me the sun rose in the East, I'd wake up 30 minutes before sunrise just to make sure.

 

[Anderson]

I'll consider this to be rumor unless I hear otherwise from an independent source not citing him as a main source of information.

 

[bobnabq]

 

[EB_OBS]

A couple weeks ago I was shown a copy of a story from a source, unknown to me, but from a supposedly reliable inside source at Amtrak HQ.

In it was described a meeting in which Mr. Boardman supposedly was irritated at a presentation by someone and he, Mr. Boardman, told the person he was done and get out. This person is supposedly to have gone out and complained to this inside source that Mr. Boardmans behavior was not uncommon as of late. I don't remember fully the all the details.

Anyway, this blurb, has been photocopied and has spread around the unions and the company. It's quite possible, in my opinion that this is the source of this supposed meltdown. I don't know. I can say that I've not seen nor heard any evidence to corroborate this story or the one I read weeks ago either for that matter.

I've met Mr. Boardman a couple times and I've watched much of his public speaking that's made it onto the web. I've obviously also read every letter and memo he's put out to the employees. I really don't put much stock in this hearsay and rumors.

 

[Shortline]

A couple weeks ago I was shown a copy of a story from a source, unknown to me, but from a supposedly reliable inside source at Amtrak HQ.

In it was described a meeting in which Mr. Boardman supposedly was irritated at a presentation by someone and he, Mr. Boardman, told the person he was done and get out. This person is supposedly to have gone out and complained to this inside source that Mr. Boardmans behavior was not uncommon as of late. I don't remember fully the all the details.

Anyway, this blurb, has been photocopied and has spread around the unions and the company. It's quite possible, in my opinion that this is the source of this supposed meltdown. I don't know. I can say that I've not seen nor heard any evidence to corroborate this story or the one I read weeks ago either for that matter.

I've met Mr. Boardman a couple times and I've watched much of his public speaking that's made it onto the web. I've obviously also read every letter and memo he's put out to the employees. I really don't put much stock in this hearsay and rumors.

So all we know then, is the leader of Amtrak grows tired of incompentence quickly. I'm pretty much ok with that.

 

[Texan Eagle]

Why is Boardman so angry and irritated? Did a conductor drop him off an Amtrak "commuter train" in the middle of nowhere for unruly behavior?

 

[NE933]

Why then is this miscreant allowed to post his "This week at Amtrak" on AU? Can't we ask Alan to please cut off the umbillical cord to an anxiety source which is valueless and downright false?! The consequences of this fishmonger can be grave on the stability of the workforce and leadership, not to mention on the railroad's perception to it's fickle audience in Washington. It has the power to be a self fulfilling prophecy; I don't understand why Bruce Richardson does not engage in active debate here on AU instead of dropping harmful slander.

 

[Montanan]

Why then is this miscreant allowed to post his "This week at Amtrak" on AU? Can't we ask Alan to please cut off the umbillical cord to an anxiety source which is valueless and downright false?! The consequences of this fishmonger can be grave on the stability of the workforce and leadership, not to mention on the railroad's perception to it's fickle audience in Washington. It has the power to be a self fulfilling prophecy; I don't understand why Bruce Richardson does not engage in active debate here on AU instead of dropping harmful slander.

I've long considered URPA to basically be a spammer ... and frankly, I think it's unfortunate that they're rewarded for that by being given a permanent slot at the top of the discussions page. :angry2:

 

[Trogdor]

I don't understand why Bruce Richardson does not engage in active debate here on AU instead of dropping harmful slander.

It's his MO. He's been around for quite some time, spouting his drivel. He doesn't actually post it here (MrFSS does in the pinned URPA thread). He has posted it on other boards, or it has been copied there, in various corners of the internet.

He'll never engage anyone in actual debate. While it seems to have improved somewhat, in years past the name-calling he would engage in was at the level of kindergarten childishness.

He seemingly took leave from URPA for a while, and became a high-level executive in one of the LA-Las Vegas train proposals (Z train). That was basically a scam of an operation, and they even got sued for defamatory remarks against competitors (details here).

Now that the whole Z-Train thing seems to have fallen apart, Bruce is more or less back to his old self, living in fantasy land where he throws bombs across the fence to see who he can hit.

Frankly, I don't think URPA is worthy of a second thought, let alone their own pinned topic on this forum. That said, it is my right to not read that thread, and I exercise that right regularly.

Back in the day, URPA put together a "plan" that would supposedly bring Amtrak into profitability by running a bunch of long-distance trains. Their plans, reports, etc. make no mention of any sources of their data (so, for all we can tell, they're completely made up), and in the past, if anyone questioned them on it, they'd respond saying that the information was proprietary.

Their credibility is pretty much zero. If anything they say happens to be correct, it tends to fall in the "broken clock" category.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

According to the 12/16/11 "Trains" News Wire, Jeff Geary, Amtrak's "top operations official," has been forced out, and was either given the chance to resign or was 'canned' outright. He was at Amtrak for only about six months, but, according to a couple of sources, was considered to be moving too slowly in developing a new strategic plan. His employment came to an end immediately following a two-day meeting of Amtrak's board of directors, where numerous questions about the current round of management buyouts were raised in regards to how they impact Amtrak's plans and goals.

Boardman announced Geary's departure in a statement that included other staff changes. There was no explanation given for the hasty departure.

"I thank Jeff for his hard work and wish him the best in his future endeavors. In the midst of this transition, I want to assure all Amtrak employees that we are being thoughtful and thorough about the changes we’re making in the organization."

Boardman went on to say that Amtrak will recruit to find a new vice president of operations after filling some other key positions.

IMHO it sounds like Boardman is trying to shake some things up and is peeving some folks off in the process.

That said, I do have to wonder about the current hiring process for senior staff when your new 'top operations official" only lasts for such a short period of time and departs under such a cloud. And now they need to hire for a number of other key positions, at least in part due to the unforseen large number of employees who opted to take a buyout this fall - many of whom Amtrak would have really preferred to have kept. I'm not ready to join the 'toss Boardman' camp, but it does seem some things have not gone well at 60 Mass Ave. lately.

 

[jphjaxfl]

There really aren't any railroad officials that would have the knowledge and experience to lead Amtrak, today. Those familiar with passenger train operations are usually with commuter systems. Unfortunately, someone like Grahmn Claytor who operated a passenger and freight railroad don't exist. I think the current President of Amtrak is doing an excellent job considering what he has to deal with.

 

[PRR 60]

What Boardman is trying to do is change Amtrak. If there is one thing that organizations hate, it's change, and no organization more than Amtrak. Amtrak has spent much of its forty years defending the status quo based on the premise that no one else wanted to do what they do, so no matter how inefficiently they did it, it does not matter. That is no longer the case. Boardman and others are beginning to realize that Amtrak must change if it is to be relevant five or ten years from now. Bottom line: does Amtrak want to be FedEx or the US Postal Service?

 

[rrdude]

I don't understand why Bruce Richardson does not engage in active debate here on AU instead of dropping harmful slander.

It's his MO. He's been around for quite some time, spouting his drivel. He doesn't actually post it here (MrFSS does in the pinned URPA thread). He has posted it on other boards, or it has been copied there, in various corners of the internet.

He'll never engage anyone in actual debate. While it seems to have improved somewhat, in years past the name-calling he would engage in was at the level of kindergarten childishness.

He seemingly took leave from URPA for a while, and became a high-level executive in one of the LA-Las Vegas train proposals (Z train). That was basically a scam of an operation, and they even got sued for defamatory remarks against competitors (details here).

Now that the whole Z-Train thing seems to have fallen apart, Bruce is more or less back to his old self, living in fantasy land where he throws bombs across the fence to see who he can hit.

Frankly, I don't think URPA is worthy of a second thought, let alone their own pinned topic on this forum. That said, it is my right to not read that thread, and I exercise that right regularly.

Back in the day, URPA put together a "plan" that would supposedly bring Amtrak into profitability by running a bunch of long-distance trains. Their plans, reports, etc. make no mention of any sources of their data (so, for all we can tell, they're completely made up), and in the past, if anyone questioned them on it, they'd respond saying that the information was proprietary.

Their credibility is pretty much zero. If anything they say happens to be correct, it tends to fall in the "broken clock" category.

Trog couldn't have put it any clearer, ".......Exercise your right.........not to read it............."

I've been exercising that right ever since I read the first few pages years ago. "Drivel" is being nice. The guy(s) who write the stuff at This Week At Amtrak are just plain off their rockers, kooky. At least the pharmaceutical companies are making money off them, oh wait, no they aren't, 'cause they are obviously off their meds!

 

[NE933]

But the trouble is that even if we ignore it, its power to cause harm is still alight, sort of like a curse.

 

[jis]

Posting something on AU causes harm? To whom? How so?

 

[haolerider]

I don't understand why Bruce Richardson does not engage in active debate here on AU instead of dropping harmful slander.

It's his MO. He's been around for quite some time, spouting his drivel. He doesn't actually post it here (MrFSS does in the pinned URPA thread). He has posted it on other boards, or it has been copied there, in various corners of the internet.

He'll never engage anyone in actual debate. While it seems to have improved somewhat, in years past the name-calling he would engage in was at the level of kindergarten childishness.

He seemingly took leave from URPA for a while, and became a high-level executive in one of the LA-Las Vegas train proposals (Z train). That was basically a scam of an operation, and they even got sued for defamatory remarks against competitors (details here).

Now that the whole Z-Train thing seems to have fallen apart, Bruce is more or less back to his old self, living in fantasy land where he throws bombs across the fence to see who he can hit.

Frankly, I don't think URPA is worthy of a second thought, let alone their own pinned topic on this forum. That said, it is my right to not read that thread, and I exercise that right regularly.

Back in the day, URPA put together a "plan" that would supposedly bring Amtrak into profitability by running a bunch of long-distance trains. Their plans, reports, etc. make no mention of any sources of their data (so, for all we can tell, they're completely made up), and in the past, if anyone questioned them on it, they'd respond saying that the information was proprietary.

Their credibility is pretty much zero. If anything they say happens to be correct, it tends to fall in the "broken clock" category.

Trog couldn't have put it any clearer, ".......Exercise your right.........not to read it............."

I've been exercising that right ever since I read the first few pages years ago. "Drivel" is being nice. The guy(s) who write the stuff at This Week At Amtrak are just plain off their rockers, kooky. At least the pharmaceutical companies are making money off them, oh wait, no they aren't, 'cause they are obviously off their meds!

As I have mentioned previously, Bruce Richardson has had it in for Amtrak since he was refused a consulting position in 2000. He had done some work for the NOL operations group and had (in his mind) achieved positive results. The fact was that his plan for 24 dining service on the Sunset was filled with flaws and incorrect assumptions. When he approached Amtrak Marketing with additional plans he was rebuffed and he was not happy about it. He and his URPA buddies seem to live in a fantasy world. Gil Carmichael owns a building in Meridian, MS in which he has leased space to Amtrak for a crew base and office space, so it would seem to me that we would be somewhat pro-Amtrak, but that does not seem to be the case. I don't bother to read the URPA pieces anymore since they seem to be cut & paste of the same old material.

Having said that, I think what Joe Boardman is doing is trying to get a new mind-set in the Amtrak organization; however it is going to be difficult to replace some of the operational people who left with management that is ready to set new benchmarks and work toward a revitalized organization.