Stephen Gardner's stewardship of Amtrak (4/22)

[Amtrakfflyer]

“Something to bear in mind is that a very small percentage of long distance train travelers travel end to end.”

That’s a great response to people like Anderson and Gardner. Anderson repeated said very little people ride Amtrak end to end. His idiotic response of course was proposing to cut the middle of the SWC out. So rural people that depended on the train for your reasons above would be left to drive or ride a bus.

It brings us back to my post last week. Amtrak needs a CEO from a major public transit system, someone who understands working for the common good, not a private sector CEO who is only out to cut, cut, cut.

 

[Trogdor]

It brings us back to my post last week. Amtrak needs a CEO from a major public transit system, someone who understands working for the common good, not a private sector CEO who is only out to cut, cut, cut.

Somewhat ironic, but I remember 15-20 years ago when a number of Amtrak fans hated George Warrington (who came from NJT) because he supposedly “only understood transit” and therefore supposedly didn’t understand how the long-distance traveler used the system.

 

[neroden]

Honestly, the worst CEO in Amtrak's history (IMO, and worst-before-Gardner) loved trains and had a career which spanned all forms of railroads, public transportation, and station construction -- he was just bad at all of it! That was Thomas Downs.

It's one thing to have experience, it's another to have learned from it. This is why I never automatically assume that a person with no experience will be bad at a job -- they may be humble enough to study and learn and may get it right -- and on the other hand, when someone has experience, I ask, ***how did they do in their previous positions***.

In addition to the things MARC Rider pointed out:
- Gardner's fingers were personally on the idiotic Southwest Chief bus bridge proposal, from what I've heard
- The buck stopped with Gardner when the timetables were idiotically discontinued. It's on him.
- Gardner was the one responsible for producing the avoidable-cost numbers for the trains for over a decade and a half, and the one who lied and claimed he wasn't required to by law (I guess he finally straightened up and flew right on that one recently)
- When he was "Chief Operating and Commercial Officer", he should have been reponsible for making sure that food ingredients lists got transferred from the suppliers to the website... this is a logistical procedure... something he never did
- When he was "Chief Operating and Commercial Officer", it was fundamentally his responsibility when the group of wheelchair users were given a ridiculous $25000 quote for taking a trip; if he'd been at all competent in management, this would never have happened

I don't think Gardner actually knows how to manage any organization, let alone a railroad.

I honestly think Gardner wants Amtrak to thrive, but so did Tom Downs! Gardner might be an excellent Congressional liason or STB lobbyist for Amtrak, but he's inflicted an extraordinary amount of unnecessary damage to Amtrak through sheer, obvious incompetence -- incompetence of the "anyone here would have gotten it right" variety.

And that worries me, for obvious reasons.

 

[amtrakpass]

In my view the current regime is historically very poor overall since they actually have good funding but are still cutting back on many routes, costs and quality of service. It is good they are fighting the fight with CSX for the gulf coast service but the fact remains most of the expansion plans are still just plans and dependant on uncertain state by state funding. Time will tell on those plans. Most concerning to me is that current Amtrak mgmt does not seem to respect the intent and will of congress. They almost seem to view congress role as making suggestions of what they need to do and they get to pick and choose where it applies. Does anyone really think Congress intends for Amtrak to run extremely short trains, with high prices, no lounge cars, or poor food service five days a week? And yet this is what Gardner is directing to happen with many trains. People have discussed the reasons for many of those things at length, but it is easy to tell an organization doing the best they can to make the most of what they have with limited resources, and an organization trying to get by with as little as they can possibly do and still comply with the letter of the law and keep their jobs. Gardner's Amtrak seems to me to fall into the latter category in many respects even if it is not across the board

 

[BlackDiamond]

In my view the current regime is historically very poor overall since they actually have good funding but are still cutting back on many routes, costs and quality of service. It is good they are fighting the fight with CSX for the gulf coast service but the fact remains most of the expansion plans are still just plans and dependant on uncertain state by state funding. Time will tell on those plans. Most concerning to me is that current Amtrak mgmt does not seem to respect the intent and will of congress. They almost seem to view congress role as making suggestions of what they need to do and they get to pick and choose where it applies. Does anyone really think Congress intends for Amtrak to run extremely short trains, with high prices, no lounge cars, or poor food service five days a week? And yet this is what Gardner is directing to happen with many trains. People have discussed the reasons for many of those things at length, but it is easy to tell an organization doing the best they can to make the most of what they have with limited resources, and an organization trying to get by with as little as they can possibly do and still comply with the letter of the law and keep their jobs. Gardner's Amtrak seems to me to fall into the latter category in many respects even if it is not across the board

Well the funding and the cutbacks are really 2 separate things. I see the funding as more of a long term process to allow Amtrak to finally overcome past capital starvation and begin to achieve its potential. The 5 day a week schedule and equipment cutbacks are the lingering results of decisions made during the pandemic which in hindsight appear to be poorly thought through. It will just take time to bring staffing levels up then attack the backlog of sidelined equipment. Staffing issues are something that every industry is dealing with not just Amtrak.

 

[west point]

But they would have had much less personnel problems if Amtrak has kept persons employed and just let some work part time or just flood the cars with OBS persons.

 

[jis]

But they would have had much less personnel problems if Amtrak has kept persons employed and just let some work part time or just flood the cars with OBS persons.

Of course, if in the process they ran out of cash that would pose a different more severe and immediate problem

Remember, their revenue stream had been reduced to 10% of normal for an extended period of time and it was several months before they even knew that they were going to get a rescue package from Congress.

Having been a VP of Finance in a 501c(3) with staff through the 2008 crisis when our revenue stream (membership fees) dipped to less that 33% of normal, I can appreciate the dilemma faced by management under such situations. Of course we had no Congressional rescue package, but we managed through it until revenues rebounded, and yes we did cut staff to the barebones and then some to stay solvent.

 

[Burns651]

It's hard to believe much will change until Amtrak gets a legitimate board. Why hasn't "Amtrak Joe" even nominated anyone? Where is Buttigieg on this?

 

[Bob Dylan]

It's hard to believe much will change until Amtrak gets a legitimate board. Why hasn't "Amtrak Joe" even nominated anyone? Where is Buttigieg on this?

Amtrak Joe has bigger things on his plate, but Buttigieg should be on top of this, but isnt!

 

[Dakota 400]

Amtrak Joe has bigger things on his plate, but Buttigieg should be on top of this, but isnt!

I think I understand your disappointment about the Secretary. But, what is going on in the Executive Offices of the Transportation Department? We're not privy to that and there may be more of an effort to assist Amtrak than we realize.

 

[PaTrainFan]

I think I understand your disappointment about the Secretary. But, what is going on in the Executive Offices of the Transportation Department? We're not privy to that and there may be more of an effort to assist Amtrak than we realize.

The infrastructure bill was HUGE and complex. Many, many fish to fry, well beyond Amtrak.

 

[jis]

Until the administration decides to reconstitute the Amtrak Board a substantial proportion of the money directed towards the National Network has a significant probability of being pissed down the drain, unfortunately. Even if they do nothing else, they ought to get on with reconstituting the Board as specified in the new Authorization.

But again, Gardner cannot do much about it. This is above his pay grade.

 

[Northwestern]

Until the administration decides to reconstitute the Amtrak Board a substantial proportion of the money directed towards the National Network has a significant probability of being pissed down the drain, unfortunately. Even if they do nothing else, they ought to get on with reconstituting the Board as specified in the new Authorization.

But again, Gardner cannot do much about it. This is above his pay grade.

I agree regarding Mr. Gardner. I know the NEC has some costly infrastructure repairs, but I think the national network does as well. When Richard Anderson tried to bustitute the Southwest Chief, I think Mr. Anderson didn't understand that a train passenger is not the same as an airline passenger. I think Mr. Gardner doesn't understand either. Let corridor trains be funded by the states they run through, with some help from federal funding. Then have Amtrak run, exclusively and solely, the 15 long distance train . Would that improve the quality of the LD train?
Probably not. Just a thought.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Some general posts on RPA's action on implementation of Amtrak Authorization have been moved to a new thread in a more appropriate Forum. They are now at:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/rpa-action-on-iija-amtrak-authorization-implmentation.81840/
Please post further discussion of RPA action in that thread and not here.

Your understanding and cooperation is most appreciated.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Received this today from one of my Senators. My letter was read as it responds to a couple of my points. No mention of management or Board but overall most of point got across. Interestingly the staffer changed Galesburg for Davenport, I guess to keep it pertinent to our Iowa Senator. We’re on the state border here.

 

[daybeers]

Received this today from one of my Senators. My letter was read as it responds to a couple of my points. No mention of management or Board but overall most of point got across. Interestingly the staffer changed Galesburg for Davenport, I guess to keep it pertinent to our Iowa Senator. We’re on the state border here.

All just seems like a bunch of blah to me.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Received this today from one of my Senators. My letter was read as it responds to a couple of my points. No mention of management or Board but overall most of point got across. Interestingly the staffer changed Galesburg for Davenport, I guess to keep it pertinent to our Iowa Senator. We’re on the state border here.

Didn't tell you anything you didn't already know, and he did not commit to anything other than keeping your views in mind (along with the tally of other constituents communications).

 

[Dakota 400]

Didn't tell you anything you didn't already know, and he did not commit to anything other than keeping your views in mind (along with the tally of other constituents communications).

It's more of a response than I usually receive from the majority of my State and Federal "Representatives/Senators".

 

[fdaley]

Received this today from one of my Senators. My letter was read as it responds to a couple of my points. No mention of management or Board but overall most of point got across. Interestingly the staffer changed Galesburg for Davenport, I guess to keep it pertinent to our Iowa Senator. We’re on the state border here.

As these things go, it's really not a bad letter. It's at least literate about legislative issues related to Amtrak and appears to be informed by, and respond to, concerns raised in your original letter. Better, the senator says he supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is a lot better than having opposed it, and he underscores the legislative language expressing congressional support for the national network trains.

I can remember getting letters from some of my representatives in the past that were clueless about Amtrak, didn't respond to any concerns I had raised, or worse said rail service was a waste of taxpayers' money.