The unexpected resignation of Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner sent shock waves through the passenger rail community - its advocates, employees, and passengers.  

From the AP: The announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.” A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.

Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk floated the idea of privatizing Amtrak at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.

Musk, who has been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency, reportedly called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.

A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”

Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, was interviewed by NPR. Here is his perspective.

 

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