Richard Anderson replacing Wick Moorman as Amtrak CEO

[cpotisch]

This is something that should be expanded, not decimated.

If, as was the case when Amtrak first started, the Class I industry had ample capacity to "run 'em on time" and to handle the proliferation of new routes, then that would be one thing.

But that capacity to contemplate new routes and/or frequencies is simply not there. The studies mandated under RSIA/PRIIA08 established that there would need be considerable capacity expansion in order to accommodate, say, a Daily Sunset. That track capacity would be out of the public through, and the cost of such directly assignable to the route benefitted.

Further, Amtrak already accesses the Class I's at reportedly "bargain basement" rates (actual rates are protected from FOIA). It is very safe assumption those are hardly sufficient to cover the opportunity cost, i.e. what could be made with one additional Container train handled.

Here's the thing, you and I are lucky. Chicago and New York are large cities that are each served by well over a dozen routes, most of them being short distance. Now compare that to states like Montana, West Virginia, Nebraska, North Dakota, which have Amtrak service limited to *one* long distance route. Those are entire states which get the entirety of their intercity rail service from a single long distance train. If you get rid of the LD network, what happens to those people?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I do think theres a legitimate link between Mulveney, Chou and Anderson.

Anderson is doing exactly what Trump laid out in his blueprint for Amtrak. Yes the Board is made up of Obama appointees but just like Obama the Board may have good intentions they arent putting up a fight though. More of we go high when a bully goes low. Give him a chance attitude.

Honestly I think Anderson has been promised something. Thats all pure speculation on my part. Did Moorman have any idea Anderson was going to be this bad? Was Anderson honest in his interview process?

 

[ohle]

Just because you, in your narrow, parochial and limited view, don't see any value in the LD trains doesn't mean that holds true for most.

The long-distance trains, like Amtrak's other divisions, are experiencing record ridership in the last five years, the highest ever.

Which means more people than ever are riding the national system trains.

This is something that should be expanded, not decimated.

This is an ingenuous argument. Record ridership means the LD trains are at what .1% of the traveling public? There issue with the LD trains is that there always will be ceiling to a mode that is days slower than flying and many hours slower than driving. So Amtrak has to look at if serving that .1% is the best use of it's limited resources.

And the NEC is... what.... 1% of the traveling public? A limited, and mature (not expanding) geographic region.

So... those trains shouldn't run either?

Cruises and waterways account for a tiny fraction of freight and passenger movement, as does transit overall, compared to the highly-subsidized highways.

Aviation "only" accounts for 15% of travel of greater than 100 miles. The greedy highway industry, by law, takes 85%.

Because aviation's numbers are so insignificant (compared to the money-losing highways), they shouldn't exist?

The traveling public should be forced to drive (or fly)?

Amtrak's 15 LD trains account for about 15% of Amtrak's overall ridership.

A good number when they're expected to compete against 125 corridor trains, which of course garner higher ridership. There's more of them. Duh.

If there were twice as many LD trains, say 30 routes/ trains, that percentage would be considerably higher.

 

[west point]

Until Amtrak can truly measure demand how can we say it is only serving a small clientele ? Capacity is so limited that we can have no real measure. A certain route is almost always sold out in sleeper and coach only the highest bucket is available.. Any time Amtrak only has highest bucket available then there is capacity wanting. Only if Amtrak's LD network had many trains at the medium bucket could we say it is carrying the available demand.

As far as RR capacity. Its their own fault !! . Look back at the capacity reductions between many city pairs either by abandoning ""duplicate "" routes or installing CTC and shutting down parts of of double track. Only a fully 2 main track system can remain fluid whenever there is a problem causing a train on the line breaking down or for maintenance windows shutting down one track between CPs..

Examples are CSX' "A" line. IC now CN;s CHI- MEM, TOL - CHI. It use to be the Crescent was hard put to stay under time schedule CLT -Greensboro and now with same timing many times it beats schedule by 25 minutes because that section had all 2 main track restored. Even the few times freights interfere it can make timing on that section.

 

[neroden]

I wrote a certified mail letter to the chairman of Amtrak's board, and have posted it in another thread. It speaks for itself. I do not think it is worthwhile writing to Anderson. If his bosses are notified that Anderson is running Amtrak incompetently and dishonestly (with evidence provided) -- and the Board knows that people know that Anderson is being dishonest -- then his bosses may take notice.

 

[Thirdrail7]

It has been over a year and a half into Mr. Anderson's solo tenure. I have to admit, there are some things I really like (the pressing of mechanical, the pushing for new equipment, the cutting through a lot of the internal bureaucracy to get things done, the streamlining of management and certain products, the internal communication, your relations with the host), some things that are confusing (the "new'" website, the "improved website", the lack of external communication, the decision to butt heads with Congress by ignoring them, the lack of focus on some of your products) and some things may have long term, negative impacts ( your fleet plan, your relations with the hosts and Congress, your isolation of the private car industry and their lobbying power, your lack of focus on some products and a lack of communication with your partners.)

All things considered, I'm in the C+ range. What happens in the next few months will hopefully give us some insight and footing.

What do you think?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

“F” for not knowing who his bosses are (Congress and in turn taxpayers in all 50 states). I get your points on mechanical and operations.

His big disconnect is trying to run Amtrak like he ran Delta or NW. It’s not his way or the highway anymore. Amtrak is a company that operates for the public good, no matter what its charter may say Congress has made this abundantly clear to him.

Anderson could be a decent CEO if he’d continue to do the good things he’s doing. Take Congress’s money, drop the corridors vs network charade and build both up. He’d have to hire someone with railroad knowledge to guide him as well. He won’t, Moorman was supposed to stay on as a part time consultant actually.

There’s a scenario possible where we lose the National network and lose (not gain) some existing corridors as well. I’m not sure that isn’t the actual goal.

Anderson’s agenda mirrors the ideologues in the current administration and that’s what scares me the most.

PS

How cool would it be to see the next President nominate Moorman to the board? He didn’t want to be living in DC full time for family reasons, couldn’t or wouldn’t cooperate with Anderson as a consultant. Talk about qualified for the Board though. I’m sure they probably don’t meet very often.

 

[sttom]

I tend to agree with giving him a low score as well. So far we seem to have had the system be in actual peril if it weren't for congress. And this is the issue with Amtrak, they doesn't seem to be a requirement to have leadership that is actually experienced in running trains, logistics or the hospitality industries.

Also Anderson doesn't seem to understand why people ride trains. And a good portion of the reason is because of what people like him did to airlines. Riding in economy is worse than it used to be. Yeah air fares have remained relatively low, but it makes Amtrak more attractive. Hell Amtrak can even beat Megabus when it comes to running on time and being convenient. Here in California if you need to get anywhere other than a major city and you don't want to driver/can't to you need Amtrak or Greyhound.

And not to but to much of a point on it, but even if you dismantled the entire long distance system, there would be hardly enough equipment to replace all the buses in California let alone anywhere else in the country there are connecting buses services that could get turned into a proper train if the state was willing to sponsor it.

 

[TiBike]

All things considered, I'm in the C+ range. What happens in the next few months will hopefully give us some insight and footing.

Grading him on his ability to execute his plan, rather than the plan itself, I would have agreed with the C+ until I read the Washington Post editorial. I posted the link in the senators letter thread:

New Senators Letter to Anderson

That editorial indicates to me his plan to improve corridor service and downgrade or eliminate long distance service is mainstream thinking in Washington right now. That's effective politicking, and greatly increases his odds of success. But he hasn't succeeded yet. So I'd give him a B.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

"A" for successfully executing his slash-and-burn tactics to cut costs and turn people away from taking the train. (Stop by the beautiful new dining car to pick up your picnic in a box and be impressed by how we are letting it go to waste--including literally, with all the extra garbage. Remember to apply your not-as-good-as-before senior or student discount when booking--we want to make sure seniors and millennials--some of our best target groups--are unhappy.)

"F" for attitude. He's doing a great job of annoying a lot of us and either doesn't care or doesn't realize that he comes across as arrogant.

To be fair, he may just not be a people person in the way Wick Moorman was. (If Wick told us we were getting a picnic in a box, he would probably say it so charmingly and politely that we would think it was a nice treat.)

Which reminds me, where the heck is Mr. Moorman? He was supposed to be an adviser, but we haven't heard from or about him for ages. Is he still with Amtrak? Or has he quietly taken the Crescent back home to retire for good?

 

[jis]

Moorman was not supposed to be advisor till eternity. He was supposed to be advisor only for a transition period and that has long ended.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I’m not so sure, the Co CEO was for the transition and advisor “ongoing” after that. A year is not eternity.

I’ll go back and look at clippings but from the first article on this thread:

“And then I'll have some ongoing role after that to assist him," Moorman said.

It appears to me Moorman was scared off as soon as the co ceo period elapsed.

None of us know for sure especially from vague news clippings but Moormans silence and total disappearance raises questions. He’s been SO involved in railroading to just disappear doesn't add up.

 

[jis]

Well, the fact that he is not to be seen anywhere says something notwithstanding what anyone might choose to think

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Home today with my sick daughter so I had some free time. I emailed every editor and columnist I could get contact info for from the cast of railroad news sources/magazines asking if anyone’s tried to get a one on one with Moorman. Be a great read if they could.

 

[jis]

Maybe someone asked Moorman why he chose Anderson.

 

[Acela150]

I understand that many are frustrated with Mr. Anderson's poor choices as far as the LD trains go and some other choices he has made that are poor.

Just remember that he is taking orders from the Board and their motives are the motives to be concerned about. I give credit to Jis for that.

I do give Mr. Anderson credit for sticking with the NYP trackwork and making sure that it is completed. I also give him credit for focusing on the Safety Record that Amtrak had put into horrible numbers and trying to improve it. He also seems to understand that new equipment must come online. He also seems to be putting Customer Service training in place for many On Board Employees.

I ding him for not understanding the national network and its purpose. I also ding him for not responding to Congressional letters. I give him multiple dings for the horrid PV policy and the cancellation of the PRR E8 trip last May.

My largest ding (which is more like a smash to the skull for him) is the closure of a Unionized Call Center and forcing Union employees to either quit, move, or take a different job if they had the seniority and outsourcing those jobs.

Overall? C-

 

[sttom]

Amtrak's board is primarily filled by political hacks. And I disagree with TiBike, salvaging the long distance trains for parts is not what Congress wants. If that is what they wanted, we would have gotten a bill through before the midterms, or under Obama, or under literally any President going back to Nixon. The consensus seems to be to keep the long distance trains and give the states zero dollars to start corridor trains. And no $500 million for replacement buses doesn't even qualify as a drop in the bucket.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I’m not so sure, the Co CEO was for the transition and advisor “ongoing” after that. A year is not eternity.

I’ll go back and look at clippings but from the first article on this thread:

“And then I'll have some ongoing role after that to assist him," Moorman said.

It appears to me Moorman was scared off as soon as the co ceo period elapsed.

None of us know for sure especially from vague news clippings but Moormans silence and total disappearance raises questions. He’s been SO involved in railroading to just disappear doesn't add up.

For the record, after his Co-CEO period ended, Mr. Moorman stayed on as a consultant for infrastructure.

 

[Anderson]

It has been over a year and a half into Mr. Anderson's solo tenure. I have to admit, there are some things I really like (the pressing of mechanical, the pushing for new equipment, the cutting through a lot of the internal bureaucracy to get things done, the streamlining of management and certain products, the internal communication, your relations with the host), some things that are confusing (the "new'" website, the "improved website", the lack of external communication, the decision to butt heads with Congress by ignoring them, the lack of focus on some of your products) and some things may have long term, negative impacts ( your fleet plan, your relations with the hosts and Congress, your isolation of the private car industry and their lobbying power, your lack of focus on some products and a lack of communication with your partners.)

All things considered, I'm in the C+ range. What happens in the next few months will hopefully give us some insight and footing.

What do you think?

I'd give him a C-. I heartily applaud him getting moving on a new single-level equipment order (something that is needed) and there are a few other things I like, but he's also made a royal effing mess in a few areas (even if he was complying with bad mandates). If nothing else, the "Fresh and Contemporary" fiasco stands out as the real humdinger, the Chief Affair didn't make him any friends, and so on.

I also think the decision to go and do a study on the Superliner replacement front is an extremely stupid one. There, I'd be sending out an RFI sooner rather than later with an eye towards a (probably Siemens) single-level order for sleepers as well as the other car types as my first choice...but that's me.

So while I think he's dealing with some key issues that need dealing with, he's made a ton of unforced errors alongside some probably unavoidable fights (F&B, for example) and his vision presentation isn't thrilling me (there's a feeling that he's perpetually looking to cut the LD system when you'd think he would have gotten the message by now).

 

[fredmcain]

It has been over a year and a half into Mr. Anderson's solo tenure. <SNIP>
All things considered, I'm in the C+ range. What happens in the next few months will hopefully give us some insight and footing.

What do you think?

I did not care for Anderson from the word “go”. I thought he did some really dumb things or at least tried to. He was barely in there when he announced that Amtrak passenger equipment would be converted to standard “airline” type seating. Thankfully that hasn’t happened yet and hopefully it won’t.

But, having said this I now find myself having to come somewhat to his defense. He came to Amtrak knowing for certain one thing: That the United States Congress had been exerting extreme pressure on Amtrak to cut their costs and reduce their losses. So, he most likely thought, “Sure. I can do that”.

So, he developed a plan. Emphasize short to medium distance corridors (which is what passenger trains really do best in the U.S.) and de-emphasize (not necessarily eliminate completely) but just de-emphasize the cross-country trains.

But then Congress woke up and smelled the coffee as was like “WHOA! Just hang on a minute – you can’t do THAT!” Especially if it meant that one of the long-distance trains just happened to run through their district!

Unfortunately, Congress cannot have it both ways. They cannot mandate a profitable Amtrak and keep the current system as it stands. So, have we perhaps seen a sea change in the attitude of Congress towards Amtrak? Will Congress now finally, finally, FINALLY make a long-term commitment to the national system? I sure hope so but I’m not holding my breath. I have seen this grade B movie before. Congress comes to the rescue only to walk away from it later. Time will tell, I guess.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

 

[jis]

Congress has consistently been transactional regarding Amtrak issues, fixing what is minimally required to calm the vocal advocates sufficiently to get them out of their hair. They have resisted doing anything truly transformative encouraging and enabling growth across the nation. Anything that comes remotely close to being transformative has been towards discouraging nationwide growth, but favoring regional growth. I am waiting to see how things may or may not be different this time around.

 

[Ryan]

He was barely in there when he announced that Amtrak passenger equipment would be converted to standard “airline” type seating.

I must have missed that. Have a link?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I must have missed that. Have a link?

I still don’t know the ins and out of links and postings here.

Anyways I just “bing’d”, “Amtrak airline seating” and a bunch of articles popped up circa July 2017 right when Anderson joined Moorman. Got Schumer all riled up.

 

[Anderson]

@fredmcain
The problem is that there's a clear difference between "deemphasize" and "cut". If he had come out and said "Look, we're gonna replace the LD equipment at roughly current capacity...we'll probably look at adding a few sleepers where there's demand, but we're not cutting any routes" and followed through, I think a bunch of us would be fine. The Fresh and Contemporary situation would have ultimately gone down as "Congress passed a stupid mandate and he complied" and the PPC cut would have been an unfortunate-but-understandable decision. Pair that with an effort to work with states proactively to build up/expand corridors (possibly working to rejigger/work around some of the PRIIA 209 arrangements to encourage adding frequencies and signing longer-term contracts) and you've got something meaningful that would leave most of us at least willing to work with the situation.

Unfortunately, the Chief Affair crossed a line between "not emphasizing" and "active attempts to slash". There had been rumors swirling of other possible cuts in the mix (particularly on the Builder). There's also the lack of any apparent interest in replacing the LD fleet. Not expanding the LD network would be one thing, and even being painfully honest would have been fine ("We want to continue running these trains, but the equipment has problems and we need to overhaul it to serve everyone better"). Heck, asking to convert the LD trains into long-term contracts with the federal government (with capital for equipment replacement, etc.) would've been a reasonable ask.

Instead, what we've seen is a mix between overt and passive-aggressive attempts to force cuts to the LD system...so this isn't "Growing the corridors and shifting emphasis", it is "Trying to get rid of part of the company".

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

And now we have the next auction that includes a lot of Superliner equipment declared excess. Including partially rebuilt lounges that were talked about as eventually PPC replacements.

Rebuilding damaged equipment would be drastically cheaper then a new order and its needed now. A new order put out to bid today would be delivered in 4-5 years at the earliest. I’m preaching to the choir.