Kummant reportedly leaving Amtrak

[jis]

According to Bloomberg:

Amtrak Chief Kummant Is Said to Be Leaving Railroad (Update2)
By John Hughes and Angela Greiling Keane

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Alex Kummant plans to announce his resignation today from the U.S. passenger railroad, people familiar with the matter said.

Kummant, 48, has led the Washington-based carrier since September 2006. The people asked not to be identified because the CEO's departure hasn't been made public. Amtrak has ``no comment for now,'' spokesman Cliff Black said in an e-mail.

Kummant's departure will give President-elect Barack Obama an opportunity to put his stamp on the railroad. The Bush administration, which appointed Kummant, sought to cut federal subsidies and force Amtrak to operate more like a business.

You can read the whole article here.

 

[printman2000]

I may be wrong, but that sounds like fantastic news for Amtrak. I presume Obama is very pro Amtrak and will put someone in that will be good for it.

Not that I think Kumment was bad, but I want someone who is going to make a lot of noise for them.

 

[rtabern]

Just confirmed by the AP:

Amtrak CEO steps down

Eds: APNewsNow. Will be led. Moving on general news and financial

services.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amtrak says Chief Executive Alex Kummant is

resigning after about two years in the top job.

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black says Kummant's resignation is

effective immediately.

Chaiwoman Donna McLean thanked Kummant for his service in a

statement released Friday. She says the passenger railroad has

experienced strong ridership and revenue growth under his

leadership.

Kummant is also credited with overseeing the completion of labor

agreements with all of Amtrak's union employees.

Kummant says he will help with a transition to new leadership.

 

[spacecadet]

Not really sure if this is good or bad. I think it adds some uncertainty, obviously, to what Amtrak's future plans are. And I'm not 100% convinced that Obama is going to appoint somebody who's going to be better for Amtrak than Kummant was. I have a feeling that until he gets comfortable in the White House, he's going to at least want to give a nod and a wink to looking like he's governing "from the center". So he might very well appoint somebody with the same philosophy as Kummant, but who could very well turn out to be less competent. (Not saying this would be Obama's fault, but there are always risks to "new hires".) That would be the worst case.

Of course, the chances are better that we'll get somebody more in the Democrats' mold, and they have government support of passenger rail in their party platform. But you just never know. Especially with a new president who's eager to look like someone who "crosses the aisles". Amtrak is not really a national priority so this would be one easy appointment he could use to gain political capital among Republicans for more important positions.

I will say that I am not going to be sorry to see the guy who is ultimately responsible for the Diner Lite implementation go.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

according to amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...38&ssid=180

William Crosbie will take over until a new president is appointed.

 

[AlanB]

And I'm not 100% convinced that Obama is going to appoint somebody who's going to be better for Amtrak than Kummant was. I have a feeling that until he gets comfortable in the White House, he's going to at least want to give a nod and a wink to looking like he's governing "from the center". So he might very well appoint somebody with the same philosophy as Kummant, but who could very well turn out to be less competent. (Not saying this would be Obama's fault, but there are always risks to "new hires".) That would be the worst case.

Neither President Elect Obama nor current President Bush appoint the president of Amtrak. Amtrak's board hires the President of Amtrak. Now that's not to say that the US President probably doesn't get some sway with the board members, especially if they hope to be reappointed to the board, but again the President of the US does not decide who becomes the President of Amtrak.

I will say that I am not going to be sorry to see the guy who is ultimately responsible for the Diner Lite implementation go.

Kummant isn't responsible for Diner-Lite, he did continue the program, but it started before he became President and was planned before he became President.

 

[AlanB]

according to amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...38&ssid=180
William Crosbie will take over until a new president is appointed.

I have to wonder if this is why Crosbie gave the presentation to Congress.

 

[Rafi]

Exchanged emails with Kummant today about it. Have some thoughts I'll jot down later tonight or tomorrow. Overall, it's hard to say if it's a good or bad move yet, obviously. I can say that I'm 90% sure this was unexpected as of 2 weeks ago.

Rafi

 

[Mark]

That was quick. Who saw this coming? No rumors, no speculation, so why did Kummant leave? Things are looking really good for Amtrak at this point. I thought he was doing rather well as CEO. He got along with Congress and the Bush administration, has a vision for Amtrak's future and seemed to have a plan for getting there. I wonder what happened?

 

[AlanB]

And now this just in:

TRAINS exclusive: Kummant was forced out
November 14, 2008

Trains Newswire: WASHINGTON - Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Alex Kummant did not voluntarily resign, but was forced out by the Amtrak board due to a dispute over debt restructuring. TRAINS columnist Don Phillips said well-placed sources have told him Kummant agreed to walk away and not bring the clash before Congress in exchange for being allowed to characterize the departure as a resignation, not a firing.

The dispute stemmed from "an arcane budget matter," Phillips said, not from any philosophical disagreement about the role of Amtrak. Both the board and Kummant wanted to see the railroad grow. However, he said Kummant and Donna McLean, the board chairwoman, disagreed on matters related to debt restructuring.

"This is not a clash over what direction Amtrak should go in terms of expansion; that's pretty well set by the Democratic Congress," Phillips said.

The dispute between McLean and Kummant had apparently been simmering for months before today's announcement.

For those who subscibe to Trains, you can find the story here.

 

[had8ley]

For someone who said he didn't care about the Sunset it looks like this job hopper saw his last light of day at Amtrak; perhaps the history books will say the sun set upon him. For an individual that has held 7 jobs in eight years I just wonder how Amtrak even rolled.

 

[daniel3197]

Sad to say but say BYE--BYE--BYE to ANY future

badly needed Tehachapi Amtrak Detours on the Coast Starlight.

This is for those who care about being able to ride over this very rare and useful detour on occasion.

Say what you will about this route but it has been shaving about 4 HOURS off of the run time for the Coast Starlight.

As near as I can figure it after about 22 years watching

the Tehachapi mainline PRIOR to Kummant there was ONLY TWO other Tehachapi Amtrak detours:

These were the August 26, 1974 detours of BOTH 11 and 14 AND

the October 23, 2005 detour with then Amtrak PRESIDENT David Gunn of ONLY Train 11.

Those have been the ONLY NON KUMMANT Amtrak Detours in history -- 37 YEARS of it.

Anyone that can get Omaha to allow ANY Amtrak detours over Tehachapi has to be a very--very SUPER negotiator and political master

The state of California very badly needs to get some sense and start some trans-Tehachapi passenger service soon.

--- Daniel

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Should be interesting, instability is never a good thing, but at least there's a chance of something changing-- for better or for worse..

 

[Rafi]

Okay, I've finally had some time to collect my thoughts...

I should preface this by saying that while we're weren't buddy-buddy, I consider Kummant a friend, and we've both promised to keep in touch wherever he lands. To that end, I'll defend the guy. I trust his character as well as his business sense.

That said, this wasn't incredibly unexpected in hindsight, although it did blindside me when I got word. As the articles have alluded to, his relationship with the board wasn't the smoothest, although it wasn't nearly as confrontational as Gunn's relationship was. Kummant was very much looking forward to Obama/Biden filling those final empty seats on the board with some real rail folks, and I got the sense that Kummant was looking for some allies out of those assignments. As for the reports about the resignation being forced over a Debt-handling issue, uh, that may be the straw that broke the camel's back, but it doesn't take a genius to know that an issue like that would not lead to a CEO's resignation on its own. There were obviously other things going on. Whether it was the board's general malcontent with Kummant, or whether it was something in addition, I don't know yet. Regardless, it's done and we're forced to consider if this move is good for the company.

I was eager to see a future with Kummant at the helm of Amtrak in an Obama presidency. In many ways, Kummant was handed the rudder of the ship and was either told or felt it unwise to not steer it too much, I think, while Bush was president. To that end you saw him make only a few waves, mostly in endorsing and pushing projects that were sure-bets, and most of them were behind the scenes (e-ticketing is well on its way, IT infrastructure is night and day compared to what it was, etc etc). He will be remembered as the guy who carved the tombstone of Sunset East, which I think is grossly unfair. While he never said it directly to me, I got the distinct impression that he was waiting for a different administration and more amenable board members before he felt it was safe to aggressively restructure service in that corridor. I don't think he would have brought the Sunset back east, but we would have seen connecting service. I do know that he had absolutely nothing against some sort of service on that corridor—just that the Sunset was notoriously late and 3 days a week was a joke. His mindset was that of, "if you're going to bring it back, then you bring it back right" and I don't think he felt he had the funds, equipment, or backing from the board to take drastic action on the Sunset until the administration changed.

Now, all of that said, I'm glad this has happened with Biden/Obama on their way in, who will no doubt have someone in mind. Given that Hunter is on the board, that helps the administration make an informed decision on who would work well with the board, and given the administration's stance on transit, I'm very hopeful and curious as to who they'll nominate.

Is Kummant's leaving for the better? We won't know for at least a year, but his staying would NOT have been a bad thing in my opinion. He wasn't a wave maker, but then again, he came after someone who did make waves with regard to the board and Bush administration and we all saw what happened there. So I can't blame him. Like he said to me yesterday, "...look, most Amtrak CEO's only make it 2-3 years and I'm in my third." Definitely a glass-half-full kinda guy. Gotta appreciate that.

Rafi

 

[Steve4031]

If the board people were about doing their jobs and not about interpersonal politics, they would not have allowed this to happen. Maybe some of them need to be sent packing too.

 

[NativeSon5859]

I am certainly not shedding a tear over Kummant's dismissal. The numerous comments he made regarding the Sunset East came across to me as fairly arrogant, and much of what he said held little relevance as far as actual reasons for the service not to return. He seemed disconnected from the needs of the Gulf South, imo. Good riddance.

 

[had8ley]

He will be remembered as the guy who carved the tombstone of Sunset East, which I think is grossly unfair. While he never said it directly to me, I got the distinct impression that he was waiting for a different administration and more amenable board members before he felt it was safe to aggressively restructure service in that corridor. I don't think he would have brought the Sunset back east, but we would have seen connecting service. I do know that he had absolutely nothing against some sort of service on that corridor—just that the Sunset was notoriously late and 3 days a week was a joke. His mindset was that of, "if you're going to bring it back, then you bring it back right" and I don't think he felt he had the funds, equipment, or backing from the board to take drastic action on the Sunset until the administration changed.
Rafi

Hold the phone a minute !!! Is this not the same person who was quoted in Passenger Train Journal as saying "they'll get over it" when asked why service had not been restored east of NOL?

Was this not the same person who testified, before Congress in April, that he and Amtrak were NOT interested in bringing back the Sunset east of New Orleans? It's obvious you were friends BUT he did say the aforementioned and there is documentation to prove same. If he was trying to hold the line on the board and his employers (the U.S. taxpayers and Amtrak riders) I strongly feel that he should have had a very different strategy.

 

[jis]

Hold the phone a minute !!! Is this not the same person who was quoted in Passenger Train Journal as saying "they'll get over it" when asked why service had not been restored east of NOL?Was this not the same person who testified, before Congress in April, that he and Amtrak were NOT interested in bringing back the Sunset east of New Orleans? It's obvious you were friends BUT he did say the aforementioned and there is documentation to prove same. If he was trying to hold the line on the board and his employers (the U.S. taxpayers and Amtrak riders) I strongly feel that he should have had a very different strategy.

While bringing Amtrak service back between New Orleans and Florida should be a high priority, it is not at all clear that bringing back the Sunset is the best way to achieve this. So saying that Sunset East won;t happen is not inconsistent with wanting to restructure things in that area and actually bring a more usable service on that route. At least I don't have any indication that either you, me or anyone else has any clue about what his strategy was, other than to not bring back Sunset in its old form on the route. You may disagree with it and that is fine, but there are many who actually agree with that position. It is a legitimate matter to discuss what is the best way to serve the NOL - JAX - ORL route, and not be fixated on just bringing back the Sunset as it was.

 

[had8ley]

Hold the phone a minute !!! Is this not the same person who was quoted in Passenger Train Journal as saying "they'll get over it" when asked why service had not been restored east of NOL?Was this not the same person who testified, before Congress in April, that he and Amtrak were NOT interested in bringing back the Sunset east of New Orleans? It's obvious you were friends BUT he did say the aforementioned and there is documentation to prove same. If he was trying to hold the line on the board and his employers (the U.S. taxpayers and Amtrak riders) I strongly feel that he should have had a very different strategy.

While bringing Amtrak service back between New Orleans and Florida should be a high priority, it is not at all clear that bringing back the Sunset is the best way to achieve this. So saying that Sunset East won;t happen is not inconsistent with wanting to restructure things in that area and actually bring a more usable service on that route. At least I don't have any indication that either you, me or anyone else has any clue about what his strategy was, other than to not bring back Sunset in its old form on the route. You may disagree with it and that is fine, but there are many who actually agree with that position. It is a legitimate matter to discuss what is the best way to serve the NOL - JAX - ORL route, and not be fixated on just bringing back the Sunset as it was.

Au contraire, mon ami...I was only looking for ANY service. First of all there was never any substitute service (i.e. bustitution) and secondly when you make the statement that you are not interested in addressing the issue of any kind of service between NOL and Jax, under Congressional oath, I believe that speaks for itself. I fully agree that the ex-president did not create the problem; he just prolonged it to an agonizing end. We can guess all day what his strategy might have been but his actions spoke for themselves. I might add that he allowed the PR people to repeat the sad story that the depots haven't been re-built yet on the Gulf Coast but Amtrak literally dumps people onto the right of way on the west end of the Sunset in Beaumont. Smart strategy?; I think a box of rocks would have better sense.

 

[Rafi]

I KNEW I'd stir up had8ley!

Listen, I'm not entirely happy with how he dealt with the cards he was handed with regard to the Sunset. That said, I understand why he said the things he said in the hearings and in print, although I may not have said them, or said them using those words. From his perspective, the Sunset being extended back east was not an option. And instituting new corridor service cost money that Amtrak didn't have, so barring funds from the states involved, I think his perspective of "get over it" was understandable, but probably should have been articulated differently, to put it gently. I know for a fact he was in favor of eventually providing service between NOL and Florida, but given the present conditions at the time, it wasn't realistic.

That aside, I think it's unfair to make "Sunset Killer" his epitaph, and that's what I was getting at, really.

 

[had8ley]

I KNEW I'd stir up had8ley!
Listen, I'm not entirely happy with how he dealt with the cards he was handed with regard to the Sunset. That said, I understand why he said the things he said in the hearings and in print, although I may not have said them, or said them using those words. From his perspective, the Sunset being extended back east was not an option. And instituting new corridor service cost money that Amtrak didn't have, so barring funds from the states involved, I think his perspective of "get over it" was understandable, but probably should have been articulated differently, to put it gently. I know for a fact he was in favor of eventually providing service between NOL and Florida, but given the present conditions at the time, it wasn't realistic.

That aside, I think it's unfair to make "Sunset Killer" his epitaph, and that's what I was getting at, really.

Get out the peace pipe and we'll puff for a while. We all know that Katrina killed a horse that already had a broken leg or two. (Alex, unfortunately got hung with the feed bag.)The results of the poll showed that most people feel that a new train will take over the NOL-JAX leg. Meet you at the Capital City Brewhouse~ on me!

 

[PRR 60]

Can we give Alex Kummant some love? How about...

- Dramatically improved Acela service. On time rates increased from below 70% to near 90%. Revenue soared. Acela has 11% of all Amtrak riders, but generates 27% of all Amtrak ticket revenue.

- New labor contracts for all represented employees. That was no small feat.

- Much better relations with host railroads. Can you imagine the Union Pacific agreeing to let multiple Starlights across Tehachapi a few years ago? It would have been bus or nothing.

- Improved equipment availability across all lines. Reliability-centered maintenance works.

- Improved meal offerings, including the return of steaks to the dining cars and much better meals in Acela First.

- Reversal of the decision to end the Pacific Palour service on the Starlight

 

[Crescent Mark]

I think he did a decent job. I really respect the major things he did, honestly. You can't blame him for the CCCs or anything like that. Perhaps it was too much effort to get the states it goes through to help pay for the Sunset Limited or something. Anyway, I see way more positives than negatives and I can only hope the next one in line does a great job.

 

[sportbiker]

From an L.A. Times blog, via AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amtrak Chief Executive Alex Kummant resigned Friday after two years marked by significant growth in ridership and revenue, the national passenger railroad said.
 
Kummant's resignation is effective immediately, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said.
 
William Crosbie, the railroad's chief operating officer, will serve as acting president and CEO. Amtrak said Kummant will help with a transition to new leadership.