Passenger Trains > Boardman Chimes in on Amtrak ...

Trains Newswire has now confirmed this as a real email ...

Open Letter dated May 8, 2018 from Joseph H. Boardman past President & CEO of Amtrak 2008-2016

Based on the Communication I've seen being submitted to Hill Staff, I think that Amtrak has begun to do surgical communications in a way that does not provide a transparent discussion of what they are doing, instead the plan seems to be to keep the recommendations and briefings small and isolated from each other, just the opposite of transparent . I think the CEO and the Board have drawn a line in the sand at the foot of the Raton Pass, believing that they can convince western Pols that providing service on the SWC is ineffective and too costly. Making the Southwest Chief as their first major Target to cut.

I believe that after the Washington State and Train 91 accidents the CEO decided to make his safety mark by demanding PTC everywhere Amtrak operates by December 31 2018. However he will use the well respected SMS safety program from the FAA to access "risk" on each route (more than a dozen) where the FRA decided to exclude PTC requirements on segments as small as "feet" and as large as over "100 miles". In and of itself that's both good and responsible, but the threat to declare that there must be an end to service on the December 31 2018 timeline is not responsible or acceptable. Yes, additional mitigation for those risks which might be ATS (Automatic Train Stop) or perhaps "Solar powered Switch position indicators" could be suggested as a part of the "risk" process but it will take time and funding. It has not been made clear by Board Policy or CEO direction that service would be continued while those mitigation's are funded and completed. If it is not made clear within six months of the end of the year, then safety is being "Weaponized" as an attack on the National System and that's not okay. Let it be known that I am strongly in support of both Safety and of the PTC technology but like those at FRA that set up the exclusions, both common sense and the opportunity to mitigate safety improvements over time are critically important. PTC on the NEC started 20 years ago.

For me the SWC has really become the battleground for the National System. I might be wrong, but I don't think so. City pairs could be fine but a connected National System on the surface of the United States is and should continue to be our national policy. And if it is changed it should be informed by both hearings and explanations to Congress.

I am concerned that the Amtrak Board has begun to set their policy based on what we might call a "Hedge Hog" as opposed to a "Hedge Fund" approach. Meaning that the Board sees an opportunity to "Hog" all the Federal Assistance to complete the Gateway Plan; Procure New City Pair "Train Sets" operating off the NEC to the Southern big cities like Charlotte NC and Atlanta and others; And shortening more routes in order to transfer more cost to the States while abandoning the National purpose of Amtrak.

Worse yet its being done without a "Public Policy" process. Amtrak is not really a "private business", it is a "State Owned Enterprise" and it needs an open and transparent process that only Congress seems to be able to give State and National rail stakeholders under this new " Hedgehog" strategy.

For me its: The Raton Pass vs. The Gateway Tunnel you can't have one without the other.

Joe Boardman
Amtrak President and CEO 2008 - 2016

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/18 15:54 by bioyans.

Are you missing Boardman now?

There can't be any way Boardman wrote that verbatim. Not if he wants to be taken seriously by anyone. There are so many grammatical errors and failures of copy editing I refuse to believe anyone who has ever occupied a management position would ever put his name on that.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are you missing Boardman now?

Just wondering who wrote this letter for him...

Is the above an example of "Fake News" ?

An open letter to who - published where?

I have my doubts

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is the above an example of "Fake News" ?
>
> An open letter to who - published where?
>
> I have my doubts

Probably so.

Keeps saying the CEO and The Board, but it is the same Board that was there under Boardman. We do not know yet if The Board is totally in favor of Anderson's deceptive antics and disregard of revenue impacts, and therefore disregard for the bottom line, which will do his appropriations and cash reserves no good at all.

Yeah ... I'm having some doubts at the authenticity. The person who shared it is usually very credible, but I haven't found any other source material online to verify it. Put in a disclaimer, and changed the topic to reflect that this might have been a hoax, pulled on an unsuspecting advocate for Amtrak.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keeps saying the CEO and The Board, but it is the
> same Board that was there under Boardman. We do
> not know yet if The Board is totally in favor of
> Anderson's deceptive antics and disregard of
> revenue impacts, and therefore disregard for the
> bottom line, which will do his appropriations and
> cash reserves no good at all.

I think if the Board really disagrees with him and is not asleep at the switchboard, they should act on roping him in. However, I have my doubts, what with two new Trump appointees, and Elaine Chow on the Board. I suspect that the Board may be at least complicit to some extent, though we know that Chairman Coscia has stated that he believes that the LD network is important to preserve. So it would seem that the discussion is ongoing and it is not a settled issue as of yet.

Did I miss something, where is this SWC issue coming from? Did Anderson say he is cutting the SWC?

Steve

bluesboyst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did I miss something, where is this SWC issue
> coming from? Did Anderson say he is cutting the
> SWC?
>
> Steve

Yesterday news. In a roundabout way, he said that Amtrak needs to make sure that all funding is in place before it makes its next contribution of $3 M.

Here is the discussion:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4546657,page=1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/18 11:40 by ts1457.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are you missing Boardman now?

Ahh, yeah!

In couldn’t make it through the first paragraph without screaming fake.

I wonder if GenePoon could chime in on this?

Posted from iPhone

One of his closest associates confirms the authenticity of the letter.

Fred

He does need a copy editor to go through his letters methinks. :)

Jishnu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He does need a copy editor to go through his
> letters methinks. :)

Or maybe it was two cocktails at the start and four at the finish?

I should add that what I posted was copied and pasted directly from Facebook. Grammatical errors may have occurred when the OP on Facebook transferred (or transcribed) it from whatever medium they received it in.

Posted from Android

bioyans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I should add that what I posted was copied and
> pasted directly from Facebook. Grammatical errors
> may have occurred when the OP on Facebook
> transferred (or transcribed) it from whatever
> medium they received it in.

Facebook, you say. In my opinion, the remarks make Boardman rather inconsequential.

Bob Johnston / Trains Newswire has the whole thing. I just got an e-mail of it.
This is not just FB flaming.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bob Johnston / Trains Newswire has the whole
> thing. I just got an e-mail of it.
> This is not just FB flaming.

Well, if it is on FaceBook and Trains, then by all means it must be 1,000% true.