Wick Moorman CEO of Amtrak

[Acela150]

They need to contract for "secret shopper" services. And act on the results.

They have them. They are known as "spotters."

Off to a good start!
Hopefully he'll travel on the LD Trains, not in isolation on Beech Grove,visit with the Staff and Customers, and eat in the Diners so he gets a real picture of what's going on out on the rails.

Also hopefully he can get Sunnyside and the entire Chicago Clusterflub operating correctly by visiting them just like that TV Show "Secret Boss".

We wish him well! Time will tell!

The only way to get Sunnyside, Chicago and other facilities operating correctly is to give them the tools to perform the tasks. That includes parts, equipment, manpower and the most important thing: time with the equipment. When a train completes a 2400 mile journey 10 hours late, you only have so much time to get things operating correctly, particularly if someone is breathing down your neck, wanting to minimize a delay.

How many times can you say "they'll take care of it at the next facility.

Yes, I wonder how often Amtrak executives leave their Washington HQ and ride the trains themselves (not only the NEC, but also the LD trains), have dinners in the Dining Car, test the service of the SCA's, etc. This should be done on a regular basis, in my opinion.

Not too regularly because once they are recognized, their service will become exemplary.

I'd rather see unknown folks auditing the service and reporting back to HQ. I volunteer!

jb

The problem is not necessarily recognition. The problem is discretion. Some people announce their plans and show up with an entourage. This is where David Gunn was a master. He would just walk away from his group (which he went out of his way to shake) and just "appear," unannounced.

We used to call him the Shadow II (since there was a gentleman who had the title first) because they would just "appear" unannounced, at any hour and alone . More often than not, he wouldn't dress for the occasion, showing up in shorts, sandals, a hat and a book. He'd just sit there in coach, reading a book until you asked him for ticket.

I remember he was sitting on a train with Former Gov. Dukakis when a relatively new conductor approached them and asked for their tickets. Mr. Dukakis handed a pass over and said "I'm on the board."

She blurts out "I'm on the board too. I just got forced assigned. Doesn't it suck??"

Mr. Dukakis looked at Mr. Gunn who just laughed and moved on.

She didn't have any idea who she conversing with until it was over...which is the way it should be in my opinion.

That's a good laugh.

 

[dlagrua]

One priority for Wick Moorman should be to prioritize the manufacturing being done by CAF.of new Viewliners The Amtrak Viewliner sleepers are deteriorating and the Heritage diners (that date to none being made later than 1956), have reached the end of their service life.

I have read many rumors as to why manufacturing for Amtrak has been delayed by CAF but cannot confirm any of this. Among these RUMORS : 1 The defects in the baggage cars required a complete recall, that set back new production. 2. That Amtrak may be thinking about cancelling the contract 3. The bedroom/Roomette modules delivered to CAF were discovered to be out of spec and were returned.

Again these are rumors from online discussion forums so does anyone know if they are true?

 

[Bob Dylan]

#2 is definitely untrue!

As for the others,as the song says: "..the answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.."

Stay tuned here for the definite Word soon as it is available from our insiders.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

One priority for Wick Moorman should be to prioritize the manufacturing being done by CAF.of new Viewliners The Amtrak Viewliner sleepers are deteriorating and the Heritage diners (that date to none being made later than 1956), have reached the end of their service life.

I have read many rumors as to why manufacturing for Amtrak has been delayed by CAF but cannot confirm any of this. Among these RUMORS : 1 The defects in the baggage cars required a complete recall, that set back new production. 2. That Amtrak may be thinking about cancelling the contract 3. The bedroom/Roomette modules delivered to CAF were discovered to be out of spec and were returned.

Again these are rumors from online discussion forums so does anyone know if they are true?

I don't know if this was posted in the VII thread or not.

Per this website https://csanders429.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/caf-production-slowdown-behind-delays-in-delivering-new-viewliner-cars-to-amtrak/

A revised timetable negotiated in December 2015 and subject to re-negotiation this year has pushed the final delivery date to March 2017.

At the bottom of that page is a link to the Feb 2016 OIG report.

 

[jis]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

No. I was actually thinking about telling the mods to feel free to move or delete my post.

Mods - do what you want with my post.

 

[jis]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

No. I was actually thinking about telling the mods to feel free to move or delete my post.

Mods - do what you want with my post.

Well, the pivot was done by you know who, by suggesting that Wick Moorman should do what Amtrak is already doing. Not you

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

No. I was actually thinking about telling the mods to feel free to move or delete my post.

Mods - do what you want with my post.

Well, the pivot was done by you know who, by suggesting that Wick Moorman should do what Amtrak is already doing. Not you

I know ... and I should have ignored the pivot.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

If Wick Moorman has relevant experience with freight car or locomotive orders falling far behind scheduled deliveries, and any accomplishments in resolving such a mess, we should indeed explore that possibility.

But so far as I know, Moorman has no more expertise in this area than Joe Boardman, or you or me. :-(

 

[Gulfwind2]

It should seem rather obvious that Moorman has more experience in dealing with maintenance and equipment manufacturing firms considering that he came up from MoW at Southern, whereas Joe Boardman came up from the NY State Department of Transportation (keep in mind here that Boardman first arrived there when the term for it was still a highway department).

 

[dlagrua]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

I found Betty's updated info on the Viewliner II cars status informative and interesting. It is an issue that Wick Moorman will need to address, follow. and that's why I brought it up. It seemed relevant and the $41 million that CAF is reported to be losing on this order will play into the picture.

 

[jis]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

I found Betty's updated info on the Viewliner II cars status informative and interesting. It is an issue that Wick Moorman will need to address, follow. and that's why I brought it up. It seemed relevant and the $41 million that CAF is reported to be losing on this order will play into the picture.

That is precisely the sort of information that would have been more useful if placed in the VL II thread where people would typically go to get updates on VL II information. Now they would not get it there but would have to know that someone saw it fit to ask about it in the Moorman thread and then find it there. So your explanation actually further highlights the reason why it would have been better not to pivot this thread. Yeah, it did serve your selfish purpose but at some cost to the general participants. Just IMHO of course.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Do we really need to hijack the Wick Moorman thread to discuss VL II and CAF issues?

I found Betty's updated info on the Viewliner II cars status informative and interesting. It is an issue that Wick Moorman will need to address, follow. and that's why I brought it up. It seemed relevant and the $41 million that CAF is reported to be losing on this order will play into the picture.

That is precisely the sort of information that would have been more useful if placed in the VL II thread where people would typically go to get updates on VL II information. Now they would not get it there but would have to know that someone saw it fit to ask about it in the Moorman thread and then find it there. So your explanation actually further highlights the reason why it would have been better not to pivot this thread. Yeah, it did serve your selfish purpose but at some cost to the general participants. Just IMHO of course.

** I just copied what I posted here over in the VL II thread ** h34r:

 

[neroden]

Some early homework for Wick Moorman:

-- mend fences with the MBTA, which Amtrak has ticked off substantially, and for bad reasons.

-- cut a deal with Niagara Falls and get that station open. Some of Amtrak's dealmakers are making lease payments too much of a priority over *good relationships with government* and *revenue and ridership*.

-- call Quebec (and AMT... and that pension fund which just bought AMT) and get things moving on building that preclearance platform in Montreal.

-- figure out how to use the Viewliner baggage car bike racks to check unboxed bicycles on the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal -- you've got it working on the Star, Meteor, Palmetto, Crescent, and Carolinian already! How hard can it be?

These are all pre-federal-election priorities.

 

[Train2104]

-- figure out how to use the Viewliner baggage car bike racks to check unboxed bicycles on the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal -- you've got it working on the Star, Meteor, Palmetto, Crescent, and Carolinian already! How hard can it be?

Given that these two routes go to Chicago, my guess is that they're afraid a Heritage bag will end up on them with no advance warning, and then having to turn away bikers/bikes.

 

[jis]

Some early homework for Wick Moorman:

-- mend fences with the MBTA, which Amtrak has ticked off substantially, and for bad reasons.

-- cut a deal with Niagara Falls and get that station open. Some of Amtrak's dealmakers are making lease payments too much of a priority over *good relationships with government* and *revenue and ridership*.

These are all pre-federal-election priorities.

They could also consider mending fences with VRE while they are at it.

The station lease payment is a long term behavior pattern problem that has been observed with Amtrak and whoever is trying to fund and build a better station for Amtrak's use. Amtrak needs to get their priorities straightened out and put the customer first as you suggest. This may be an unusual concept to consider I know. But one can always change. The grand-daddy of such continuing miscommunication is of course the Miami Airport Multimodal station. I hope Mr. Moorman can untangle that mess.

 

[neroden]

-- figure out how to use the Viewliner baggage car bike racks to check unboxed bicycles on the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal -- you've got it working on the Star, Meteor, Palmetto, Crescent, and Carolinian already! How hard can it be?

Given that these two routes go to Chicago, my guess is that they're afraid a Heritage bag will end up on them with no advance warning, and then having to turn away bikers/bikes.

Not an excuse. There are 70 Viewliner baggage cars, which is more than enough to make sure that Heritage baggage cars are not being used on these trains.

 

[Steve4031]

I thought most of the heritage baggage cars were used to lengthen the Illini and Saluki.

 

[gwschenk]

Do you think he can make it so I can park overnight in Anaheim again?

 

[jis]

Do you think he can make it so I can park overnight in Anaheim again?

That is not Amtrak's problem. That is CalDOT's problem. I doubt Wick will have anything to do with that issue.

 

[trainman74]

Do you think he can make it so I can park overnight in Anaheim again?

That is not Amtrak's problem. That is CalDOT's problem. I doubt Wick will have anything to do with that issue.

California uses the name "Caltrans" rather than "CalDOT" to abbreviate "California Department of Transportation."

But I suspect this is more of an issue for the city of Anaheim, which owns the Anaheim station.

 

[gwschenk]

Twice a month I take the Surfliner to Los Angeles for the weekend. For years I used Anaheim Station with no issues. (I once parked there for two weeks when on the Chief.) When Artic opened I came back to Anaheim one Monday to find a ticket on my windshield telling me overnight parking was not allowed unless I registered my vehicle with security. I did that, filled out all their paperwork.

The next trip I came back on Monday with a notice that my license plate had been permanently recorded and that I was not allowed to park overnight without registering my car.

Sheesh! I got the hint! They don't want me there. So be it. Irvine Station is not as convenient but at least they like me using the station.

I guess it's a Curt Pringle/Tom Tait issue rather than Amtrak.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Rumor has it, he's on vacation. Hopefully, he's riding the rails under the guise of secrecy, resting up for his big challenge.

 

[Acela150]

Rumor has it, he's on vacation. Hopefully, he's riding the rails under the guise of secrecy, resting up for his big challenge.

Stealing facebook "Like"

 

[Thirdrail7]

Mr. Moorman is in the process of restructuring human resources, training and compliance. He has indicated that his first year will be his last. I'd be mighty surprised if he returned next year.