[Net-Gold] This Week at Amtrak; November 24, 2009

[David P. Dillard]

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Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:01:51 -0500
From: brucerichardson <bruceri...@juno.com>
Reply-To: Net-...@yahoogroups.com
To: Net-...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Net-Gold] This Week at Amtrak; November 24, 2009





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This Week at Amtrak; November 24, 2009


A weekly digest of events, opinions,
and forecasts from


United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
America?s foremost passenger rail policy
institute


1526 University Boulevard, West, PMB 203 ?
Jacksonville, Florida
32217-2006 USA
Telephone 904-636-7739, Electronic Mail
in...@unitedrail.org ?

<http://www.unitedrail.org>


Volume 6, Number 47



Founded over three decades ago in
1976, URPA is a nationally
known policy institute which focuses
on solutions and plans for passenger
rail systems in North America.
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida,
URPA has professional associates in
Minnesota, California, Arizona,
New Mexico, the District of Columbia,
Texas, New York, and other cities. For
more detailed information, along with
a variety of position papers and
other documents, visit the URPA
web site at

<http://www.unitedrail.org>



URPA is not a membership organization,
and does not accept funding from any
outside sources.


1) Today is the Tuesday before the
Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and
Wednesday is considered by everyone to
be just about the busiest travel
day of the year, even in times of
recession.



Once again, Amtrak is making its
usual Herculean effort on
the Northeast Corridor to shuttle
holiday travelers between Washington,
New York City, and Boston.



This year, there are also some
additional services on the
West Coast in California, and some
extra goodies elsewhere.



However, once again, there is a
notable lack of beefing up of
long distance trains throughout
the nation; Amtrak apparently feels only
people on the Left Coast and Right Coast,
north of Virginia, celebrate
Thanksgiving, and the rest of the
country ? as usual ? are left to fend
for themselves for holiday travel.



Part of the problem is Amtrak?s lack
of equipment, due to its
deliberate plan to keep as much
long distance equipment as possible out
of service to save on maintenance
costs. Never mind the revenue lost or
new passengers to be served; Amtrak
managers only receive recognition and
bonuses on money saved, not money spent
to improve the company?s core
financial position.


2) All of that aside, it is important
to pay respect to all of the Amtrak
employees who will be working long
and hard on Wednesday and Thursday,
and throughout the holiday weekend
taking care of their passengers.
Amtrak is still a 365 day a year
operation, and no matter that it?s
Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, or any
other holiday, dedicated Amtrak
employees are out on the road, manning
ticket windows in stations,
cleaning cars in coach yards, and
refueling locomotives all over the
country, and we thank them for taking
care of our needs while they are
away from home and their families.


3) You may want to glance again at
the date of this missive; one month
from today is Christmas Eve. Finished
your shopping, yet?


4) Thanksgiving also marks another
milestone: Amtrak Interim President
and CEO Joseph Boardman marks the
completion of his single year contract
this week as Amtrak?s chief steward.
Since no announcements have been
made to the contrary, everyone can
only assume his one year contract has
been extended ...



William Lindley of Scottsdale,
Arizona has some thoughts on
the subject.


[Begin quote]


By William Lindley



Those of you who held General
Motors shares and now hold the
converted "Motors Liquidation Company"
will be pleased (sarcasm alert) to
know that according to their website

<https://www.motorsliquidation.com/
?evar10=InvestorInfo_MotorsLiquidation>

at the end of the bankruptcy
proceedings, it is the Company's
expectation your remaining interest
in "common stock will have no value."



We could argue who was to blame
for GM's failure ? the
unions? the management? the corporate
culture? too much government
regulation? not enough government
assistance? ? but the crux of the
matter is, the board of directors ?
and particularly the president ? are
ultimately responsible for a
corporation's performance. It was the
board's, and the president's,
responsibility to either guide the company
to stability, or advise the stockholders
far in advance of an impending
failure. The board, and particularly
the president, failed to do so.



No-one should be much interested in
placing blame now,
though; words have little value,
results have much.



By the same token, we expect
interim Amtrak president Joseph
Boardman to be clear about his
company's future. Many of us have heard
him speak, with positive impressions.
Yet the results that matter ?
reports stuffed with lackluster,
unimaginative excuses instead of
positive plans for restoring furloughed
routes or opening new ones ?
ultimately rest under his watch.
The failure to order equipment
sufficient even to maintain current
routes, ultimately rests under his
watch.



Look out your window. Do you see
a tree or a shrub? It is
doing one of two things ? growing
or dying. There is no middle ground,
there is never stagnation.
A business is the same way. Grow, or
die.



Is it Amtrak's intention simply to
go gentle into the good
night? If not, where is the bold
plan, where is the vision for growth?
Eagerly, we await.


[End quote]




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Copies of This Week at Amtrak are archived
on URPA?s web
site,

<http://www.unitedrail.org>

and also on

<http://www.todaywithjb.blogspot.com>

where other rail-related writings of
Bruce Richardson may also be found.



URPA leadership members are available for
speaking engagements.


J. Bruce Richardson
President
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
1526 University Boulevard, West, PMB 203
Jacksonville, Florida 32217-2006 USA
Telephone 904-636-7739
bruceri...@unitedrail.org
http://www.unitedrail.org


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