Join the discussion on the following article:
Amtrak extends contract with Boardman for two years
Join the discussion on the following article:
Amtrak extends contract with Boardman for two years
I think we all must give Joe credit for his accomplishments. He has done more than any of us thought he would as a long-term public sector manager with little if any private sector experience. I too wish he would hold the freight rails’ “feet to the fire” for outrageous delays to passenger trains. I find myself frequently flying because I do not know when I am likely to arrive if I take Amtrak.
I long for the day, night, when the Lake Shore is once again an overnight trip. The westbound almost is, with cooperation from CSX and NS, but the eastbound is completely unacceptable. To spend all night and then all the next day on what for years was an overnight trip is a non-starter for me.
I think we all must give Joe credit for his accomplishments. He has done more than any of us thought he would as a long-term public sector manager with little if any private sector experience. I too wish he would hold the freight rails’ “feet to the fire” for outrageous delays to passenger trains. I find myself frequently flying because I do not know when I am likely to arrive if I take Amtrak.
I long for the day, night, when the Lake Shore is once again an overnight trip. The westbound almost is, with cooperation from CSX and NS, but the eastbound is completely unacceptable. To spend all night and then all the next day on what for years was an overnight trip is a non-starter for me.
It’s in some ways unfortunate that to be an accomplished leader of a rail passenger network, you have to be a career government bureaucrat, rather than private sector rail CEO. Boardman’s done an excellent job, and it’s probably the case he’d have had a harder job if he didn’t already know how to work with a Congress made up of conflicting and pretty much awful no-nothings.
The negatives the article mentions are minor. Passenger service isn’t going to be viable on the freight roads until they decide to do it themselves, and the whining about unions is perennial and pointless - we know where 80% of Amtrak’s payroll is spent and like every large corporation it isn’t on unionized employees.
Glad to see him continue, I just believe Amtrak would do so much better if it wasn’t micromanaged by politicians, with the mark of a good Amtrak leader being an ability to manage the micromanagement.
Joe has always been a “can do” guy. Keep up the good work!
I hope he can accomplish much more. Like make the Cardinal daily.
He might hear something from Omaha and Lincoln about saying Denver is the first big city.
The cardinal and sunset need daily service. We need to think big. A train from LAX to. WASH DC operating daily is a must The south is growing very fast. They need to have better rail passenger service. A spine to grow from.
The cardinal and sunset need daily service. We need to think big. A train from LAX to. WASH DC operating daily is a must The south is growing very fast. They need to have better rail passenger service. A spine to grow from.
Cardinal and sunset faily operation should be top priorities. Thr south is growing in population very fast. They need better rail service. We need LAX-NOL-ATL-WAS Daily service with NO layovets in san antonio.