National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Washington, DC)
David Gunn was derailed as President and CEO at government-owned Amtrak. Chief Engineer David Hughes was named acting chief.
Hmmm. Wonder if this will change anything?
The only change will be who gets blamed for Amtrak’s failures and dependence on Government financing. There is a mistake, too, in this story – Amtrak is NOT government-owned, but is government subsidized.
The move was, IMHO, political.
David Gunn’s addtitude is that Amtrak is ONE system… His focus has been to repair wreck and sidelined cars, repair dilapadated stations, increase market advertising, and increase system wide ridership. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta openly criticized Gunn for repairing wreck cars and not concentrating on security. Buy a few years ago, Gunn was criticized for having so many wrecked cars sidelined!
Face it, Mineta knows what’ really going on, but he’s playing his “kill Amtrak” game. This is the same guy that ordered the FAA not to “profile” Middle Eastern male passengers getting onboard planes. Idiot First Class!
I remember back in the 70s and late 80s that Amtrak had some very cool commercials:
- See the Country Travel Amtrak
- America is getting into “Training”, more and more everyday…
- Take the “A” Train.
- All Aboard Amtrak.
I haven’t seen a commercial in at least 10 years.
Inspite of the cries from Norm Mineta and John McCain that 35 Billion has been spent on Amtrak since 1971, that amount was spent on the FAA in a 3 year period! Seems rather hypocritical. Amtrak has been given just enough money each year to “limp” by. So money for tv commercials is almost not budgeted.
The criticism that Amtrak Long Distance service is not seving enough people is a paradox because because many in congress don’t want it to. Proposals to fund routes that showed potential success such as Florida to Atlanta, and Savannah to New Orleans are always shot down.
Yes, flying is the option but not everyone will fly and airports can be a hassle. Greyhound? Great for short distance but can sure be uncomfortable for long distance trips…!
The current administration wants the Northeast Corrider (Washington DC to Boston) to be run as a separate Amtrak entity while the rest of the system would either be privatized with private o
Now Amtrak can look to the future instead of the past. So Long Gunn.
Don’t forget:
- See America at “see” level
There are already about 7 topics on this subject dating back to last week when it happened. They are over on the Trains Magazine forum (technically where they belong). There was a congressional subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. It is quite obvious that Mr Gunn’s firing was politically motivated. I watched the replay on C-Span in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
If the president gets his way, what will most likely happen is, the Northeast corridor will be sold, and the rest of the system will waste away, and be gone forever.[}:)][:(!][B)][:0][V][xx(]
If you like Amtrak, you obviously know nothing of Mr Gunn. He was very intelligent and competent, and an excellent manager. The problem was he was not willing to obey the president’s wishes.
Roger that! We already know what the president’s wishes are for Amtrak and outside of the NEC, they don’t involve expansion. Modern passenger trains, even in Europe lose money. So why does an educated man like Norm Mineta believe that private operators will jump up to the plate and bid on running passenger trains, that even when full, will lose money? He knows that likely 99% of the trains outside of the NEC and California would dissappear. The Auto Train would likely be the only Long Distance survivor as this train, at times, has actually broken even.
Our question should be: Do “we the people” want the service and are willing to have our tax dollars support it? Or will we let it fade into oblivion?
History Lesson: Once you lose it…you won’t get it back!
Los Angeles is a good example. Decades back the Pacific Electric was dismantled and buses took over. Today plans are to provide an extensive light rail network to Los Angeles. Here’s the ironic, comical kicker: The majority of the lines would run over most of the same routes as the Pacific Electric! Difference is that it’s going to cost Billions since the infrastructure was ripped out or paved over decades back! Don’t know the current status, but at last check the chances were looking slim.
No man is perfect. David Gunn had his quirks. Even union workers, who Gunn has clashed with, acknowledge that the man was working his tail off to make the company viable and repectable. I’ve used the service. My mother and friends of mine have used it and
I agree Gunn was decent, but he kept looking to the past as how to run the company and was not open to new ideas or advances in ways to run a company. the board did the right thing and decided it was time for fresh blood to pu***he company into the 21st century.
Steamer Fan,
New Ideas and Advances?
O.K…What? Eliminate the LD trains and put them up for bid? That’s one of the fresh ideas that the board wants pushed?
Let’s see: Surveys were already performed. Very few private operators want to run them and then only short distance segments. The Auto Train would be the only true long distance train that private operators are interested in. Seems like a far cry from a unified national rail passenger network.
Bullet trains?
The idea has already been kicked around. Basically it’s up to individual states to build bullet train systems to connect metropolitan areas. Amtrak would be one of several companies bidding as an operator. This is already Old News. Interesting that Acela is being criticized by bueracrats, however, they seem to conveneintly forget that American railroad construction standards and regulations forced Amtrak to get what it got! The government didn’t want to spend more to get a TGV type system.
So, with all due respect, what new and fresh ideas are you referring to?? Norm Mineta’s???
I’m politically a conservative, but IMHO this is not a very bright move from this administration at all. Again, there are countless examples of this type of thinking where the results winded up being deplorable. The British rail passenger system is still plagued with problems years after they priviaized. My favorite example is the Pacific Electric that I mentioned above, which was eliminated by men that were “fresh, new thinkiers”. (Read the book “Trolleys” - great story in how the government helped destroy passenger rail systems to help GM and Firestone put lots of cars, trucks and buses on our roads - which, by the way, we’re still reaping what we sowed!). GM promised that transit buses would be profitable. Yet by 1965 public agencies were taking over bus systems left and right. What did GM do? Keep making more buses and money!
In the
I watched a portion of the replay of the hearings on C-SPAN yesterday. A question I have is this; does anyone ever answer a question anymore? I can’t believe the sneering attitude of the Board. I guess this is part of the plan to get zero funding as they seem to be able in insult or furstrate most of the people on the Committee… sheeeesh… the Peter Priciple is alive and well and functioning I’m afraid.
Maybe they will dissolve quicker now.
ICMR
Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]