New Amtrak President on the Crescent

[Green Maned Lion]

In response to Devils Advocate:

1) He ran a freight road: Either of your suggestions are possible. So is a third possibility: he understands the freight business enough to best understand the appropriate carrots and sticks as well as procedures to allow Amtrak to run better on freight while being less of a problems for the freight. E.G.: less break downs and station dawdling allow Amtrak to set a fast schedule through freight territory with better consistency and less obstruction.

2) he ran a for profit business. That means he may or may not understand that a for profit business means a completely dispassionate razor edge balance of both fiscal prudence (keeping costs reasonable) and customer satisfaction (making customers feel like you provide a reliable service with a level of amenities that feels at least consummate to the price paid). Plenty of for profit businesses don't have that. However my stock portfolio suggests NS is not among them.

3) private varnish: I'm not sure what that means besides either a degree of Railfan Or a hyper quest for privacy coupled with a dislike of long distance road trips and a fear of flying. It might suggest he is not hostile towards long distance train travel. But his pay package is even more suggestive of such.

He doesn't need this job, it's pay, or its tsuris. He is taking it on because he wants a challenge to do somethIng with Amtrak. Whether that is fix it in a way that pleases most AUers is less clear.

We must remember something we like to forget: when Joe Boardman took this job he tried to improve things for the pax and do good. Against a hostile congress, a indifferent and weak president, and doubly hostile freight rail, not to mention no respect or thanks from the people who he initially tried to help, he burned out. The real question is: if and how long it takes to do the same to Moorman!

 

[CCC1007]

In response to Devils Advocate:

1) He ran a freight road: Either of your suggestions are possible. So is a third possibility: he understands the freight business enough to best understand the appropriate carrots and sticks as well as procedures to allow Amtrak to run better on freight while being less of a problems for the freight. E.G.: less break downs and station dawdling allow Amtrak to set a fast schedule through freight territory with better consistency and less obstruction.

2) he ran a for profit business. That means he may or may not understand that a for profit business means a completely dispassionate razor edge balance of both fiscal prudence (keeping costs reasonable) and customer satisfaction (making customers feel like you provide a reliable service with a level of amenities that feels at least consummate to the price paid). Plenty of for profit businesses don't have that. However my stock portfolio suggests NS is not among them.

3) private varnish: I'm not sure what that means besides either a degree of Railfan Or a hyper quest for privacy coupled with a dislike of long distance road trips and a fear of flying. It might suggest he is not hostile towards long distance train travel. But his pay package is even more suggestive of such.

He doesn't need this job, it's pay, or its tsuris. He is taking it on because he wants a challenge to do somethIng with Amtrak. Whether that is fix it in a way that pleases most AUers is less clear.

We must remember something we like to forget: when Joe Boardman took this job he tried to improve things for the pax and do good. Against a hostile congress, a indifferent and weak president, and doubly hostile freight rail, not to mention no respect or thanks from the people who he initially tried to help, he burned out. The real question is: if and how long it takes to do the same to Moorman!

Just so people are aware, his PV was a retirement gift from NS, and it used to be on the American Orient Express, so it has had many years of service and is a good car.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The reason people are excited is because he genuinely cares about railroading. He also understands 100% the relationship with Amtrak operating on freight railroads. That's a great thing.

I do totally understand the flip side of the coin... At NS he just had to please the board of directors... As long as could convince them it was good for the bottom line... They were happy. Amtrak, as we all know, is a different animal. So many political issues.

I'm hoping he can open the door for Iowa Pacific or other companies to provide true 1st class service on some routes.

 

[Ryan]

Some more details found their way out...

http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/observation-tower/archive/2016/10/06/moorman-listens-to-front-line-feedback-during-commute-on-the-crescent.aspx

The executives then proceeded to the lounge car, where the LSA showed them the inventory paperwork and described how it is done. Moorman commented that much of what is done by hand could be done with an iPad or similar device.

One crew member then matter-of-factly shared with the higher-ups his assessment that the food on the City of New Orleans is nearly inedible, and that the crew doesn’t like having to serve such a bad product. The crew member suggested that all trains should have more fresh food and should be tailored to the regions they serve, with regional specialties. The execs also asked how many coach passengers were eating in the diner.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Well that's interesting. Hopefully, Moorman will take action to correct some of the problems that have longed been talked about here on AU. Modernizing the inventory procedures would extend hours the cafe is open, and the dreadful CONO food experiment can be brought to a quick end. Now if the voters in Orlando cooperate, maybe we can get rid of Mica.

 

[JohannFarley]

]

One crew member then matter-of-factly shared with the higher-ups his assessment that the food on the City of New Orleans is nearly inedible, and that the crew doesn’t like having to serve such a bad product. The crew member suggested that all trains should have more fresh food and should be tailored to the regions they serve, with regional specialties. The execs also asked how many coach passengers were eating in the diner.

It takes a lot to say to your president "part of our product is garbage, we need to fix it." I commend that crew member for his honesty, that is truly what will help get problems like these fixed. Sugarcoating problems doesn't help fixing problems, so it's good to see some people are willing to say that a problem exists.

EDIT: Thank you phone for messing up the quote thing

 

[Carolina Special]

It probably helps to be able to talk to a new CEO, who isn't yet invested in the current methods like his predecessor was. Whether it makes a difference, we'll see down the road.

 

[JohannFarley]

Very true. I can imagine it's much easier to bring up issues that already existed as (it shouldnt) be taken personally by Moorman. I'm guessing we will see this replicated as he travels around. Perhaps the more crew members feel comfortable bringing up issues with him, the more he will want to fix them.

 

[bretton88]

Judging by who he was with, Moorman might also have ideas for his new executive team.

 

[seat38a]

I wonder if they enforced the community seating rule and shoved 2 other people in with him or left him alone.

 

[west point]

Moorman getting feedback on the OBS CNO diners was an unexpected benefit. Cannot remember is the Sunset OBS assigned out of New Orleans and go to San Antonia ?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Moorman getting feedback on the OBS CNO diners was an unexpected benefit. Cannot remember is the Sunset OBS assigned out of New Orleans and go to San Antonia ?

Nope, the Sunset OBS are LAX based.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I wonder if they enforced the community seating rule and shoved 2 other people in with him or left him alone.

I wonder if he attempted to stay in the dining car during non-meal hours.

 

[railbuck]

At least he doesn't appear to be wearing pajamas.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

At least he doesn't appear to be wearing pajamas.

I think you win the thread. ^_^

 

[DSS&A]

I hope that Mr. Moorman will have better success with Congress. Better food quality and choices will help as well as reversing Congress' cost analysis and allow the Amtrak to operate like 3 other private companies (free dinners for sleeping car passengers), which some Republicans keep repeating.

Many successful hotel corporations offer free WiFi, free continental breakfasts, or even big FREE breakfast buffets for people staying at their hotels and not EVERY hotel guest uses these offerings. However, I don't here Congressmen protesting that this practice is "unfair" to the hotel customers that do not take advantage of these "free" offerings. Congressmen might loose support and campaign contributions if they protest against Embassy Suites, Hilton, Marriott and others.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I hope that Mr. Moorman will have better success with Congress. Better food quality and choices will help as well as reversing Congress' cost analysis and allow the Amtrak to operate like 3 other private companies (free dinners for sleeping car passengers), which some Republicans keep repeating.

Many successful hotel corporations offer free WiFi, free continental breakfasts, or even big FREE breakfast buffets for people staying at their hotels and not EVERY hotel guest uses these offerings. However, I don't here Congressmen protesting that this practice is "unfair" to the hotel customers that do not take advantage of these "free" offerings. Congressmen might loose support and campaign contributions if they protest against Embassy Suites, Hilton, Marriott and others.

I'm sure the same Congressmen would argue the general public doesn't directly subsidize the hotels.

 

[MARC Rider]

I hope that Mr. Moorman will have better success with Congress. Better food quality and choices will help as well as reversing Congress' cost analysis and allow the Amtrak to operate like 3 other private companies (free dinners for sleeping car passengers), which some Republicans keep repeating.

Many successful hotel corporations offer free WiFi, free continental breakfasts, or even big FREE breakfast buffets for people staying at their hotels and not EVERY hotel guest uses these offerings. However, I don't here Congressmen protesting that this practice is "unfair" to the hotel customers that do not take advantage of these "free" offerings. Congressmen might loose support and campaign contributions if they protest against Embassy Suites, Hilton, Marriott and others.

Amtrak doesn't offer "free food" to anybody. For sleeper passengers, meals are included in the price of the ticket (or more specifically, the price of the accommodation.) Nor do hotels offer "free" wifi or breakfasts or whatever, the costs are included in the room rate. If the hotel can fill its rooms without offering anything, the management will be more than happy to do so. But, believe me, if you are offered anything "free," you are paying for it one way or the other.

If Amtrak can fill the trains without providing food, why should they provide food? We'll have to see how the "experiment" with the Silver Star works out. It's possible that they can fill more sleeper berths with cheaper, no-food-included fares than with the former system. And this business of including meals with sleeper accommodations is a relatively recent thing in the US passenger rail world, anyway. And also remember, that most Antrak passengers don't travel in the sleepers, they travel coach or business class. Many of them don't have a need for food service beyond a cafe car, because they're traveling relatively short distances, even on "long distance" trains,

Passenger rail service is about providing people with transportation, not feeding them. Food service is only necessary as a means to attract (some) passengers. I agree that the current food service (including the cafe cars) has deteriorated, and some sort of fix is needed. However, I think that Amtrak's real challenges are more on the order of maintaining and expanding service, increasing reliability, and renewing (and expanding) the fleet. And if the company expects the taxpayers to subsidize this (which I think we should), it should be providing rail service that most meets the public interest, which is probably more corridor service, although additional LD frequencies that allow daylight service to cities on the line (such as the proposal in the Amtrak futures subforum to run a second train on the LSL route that serves Ohio cities during the day) are also worth considering.

What the new leadership has to do is to somehow divert the obsession of certain members of Congress for accounting trivia over the food service and focus on the larger issue of the role passenger rail can play in improving our national transportation system (alternative to driving and short flights, reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of traffic congestion, public transportation alternative to some rural communities, etc.) An then, while they're debating the important stuff, the new leadership can quietly fix the problems with the food service.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Couldn't have said it better myself, MARC Rider. Transportation first, amenities second.

 

[The Chief]

I hope that Mr. Moorman will have better success with Congress. Better food quality and choices will help as well as reversing Congress' cost analysis a

Passenger rail service is about providing people with transportation, not feeding them.

Couldn't have said it better myself, MARC Rider. Transportation first, amenities second.

Benito Mussolini got those trains running on time.

Heck w/amenities and food! Maybe rename a LD Il Duce and set it up with rider poles and straps like MARC The T Metra CTA MTA SEPTA Metro.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I hope that Mr. Moorman will have better success with Congress. Better food quality and choices will help as well as reversing Congress' cost analysis a

Passenger rail service is about providing people with transportation, not feeding them.

Couldn't have said it better myself, MARC Rider. Transportation first, amenities second.

Benito Mussolini got those trains running on time.

Heck w/amenities and food! Maybe rename a LD Il Duce and set it up with rider poles and straps like MARC The T Metra CTA MTA SEPTA Metro.

*ROTFLMAO*

 

[Ryan]

MARC has neither rider poles nor straps.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

MARC has neither rider poles nor straps.

I don't think Metra does either.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

MARC has neither rider poles nor straps.

Metra also has neither.

 

[jis]

Rider poles somehow gave me visions of riders pole dancing