Amtrak names railroad veteran Stephen Gardner as new CEO

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

Amtrak on Wednesday named veteran executive Stephen Gardner as its next chief executive.

Gardner, who has served as the passenger railroad’s president for the past year, will take over the top job at Amtrak on Jan. 17. He will replace William J. Flynn, who has served as Amtrak’s top executive since April 2020.

Flynn, who led the company through the coronavirus pandemic slump and the recovery efforts, will remain at the company as a senior adviser to Gardner through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The change is the latest at the railroad as it tries to recover from a pandemic ridership slump while planning for the infusion of billions of dollars from the federal infrastructure package.

“With the Biden administration and Congress just having made a transformational investment in intercity passenger rail, this is the right time to transition the leadership of the company for the long-term to help guide Amtrak’s promising future,” Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia said in announcing the transition. “Stephen has the business skills, industry knowledge and vision to improve and modernize service for the next generation of Amtrak’s customers.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/12/15/amtrak-flynn-gardner/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Looks like very good news.

A railroad veteran is an excellent choice.

Recently I took Amtrak from New Mexico to Kansas City, and back again a couple of weeks later. It's an overnight run, so I book a roomette. I love the train. I love the roomette. I love the privacy, with the option of going to the lounge car if I want. Right now the dining car is only available for the sleeper car passengers, mainly because in these days of Covid they are no longer seating strangers together. Plus, they've revamped the menu since I last took it before Covid.

In April of 2020 I was booked to take Amtrak (the Southwest Chief) from NM to Chicago, overnight there, then the Empire Builder to Seattle. Three overnights on the train, plus a hotel in Chicago. I was very much looking forward to it, but my thing in Seattle got cancelled because of the pandemic. I am hoping that in another year, meaning 2023, I can rebook that trip. Eventually.

[Hiawatha Pete]

2. +1

My wife & I often traveled by roomette or bedroom on Amtrak (and VIA rail).

We were planning a trip out west on VIA this spring as I'll be eligible for retirement, though with the pandemic nothing is written in stone at this point.

I like the opportunity for social distancing that the roomettes and bedrooms provide, nonetheless we will be watching the case counts before booking a trip. We are both fully vaxed with boosters (VIA requires both staff and passengers to be vaxed).

Look forward to riding Amtrak as well, at this point 2023 looks like it will be the earliest opportunity for us as well.

Cheers, Pete https://northamericabyrail.info/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I believe the sleeper cars on both of my trains were full.

Only allowing sleeper car passengers in the dining car really cut back on close contact. Plus, sleeper car passengers can choose to have their meals brought to them, instead of going to the dining car. The man in the roomette across from me on the return home did that. And many others, I'm sure.

I honestly have no idea if Amtrak is limiting ridership in the coach cars, or not. On both of my trains it did seem as though my sleeper car was pretty much completely full. But again, the social distancing available in the sleeper car is good.

The trip I took recently was because of family health issues on the east coast. Without that trigger, the trip would not have occurred. Although it was quite nice to see the family and friends I got to see on that visit.

Personally, I'm not willing to travel much these days. I absolutely will not get on board an airplane, especially given all the crazy passenger stories we keep seeing.