Passenger Trains > How bout them bonuses!

Great news if you’re an Amtrak exec. Maybe not so much for the rest of us?

Posted from iPhone

Nice tease....are you going to tell us more?

Dave

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/us/politics/amtrak-executive-pay-bonus.html?smid=url-share

"Stephen Gardner, who became Amtrak’s chief executive this year, has received more than $766,000 in short-term incentive bonuses since 2016.=inheritCredit...=inherit=inherit Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg"

They should be forced to take it right out of the NEC's operating budget. This make a mockery of executive suite bonuses, like giving a  C student a gold star and a scholarship for showing up on time to school every day. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/22 06:53 by joemvcnj.

Hey I was a "C" student all through school including college! C is generally seen as ok and passing. I'd have to give Gardner and company an "F" Amtrak is literally doing NOTHING right. These bonuses are disgusting and give more of incentive for them to change nothing. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/22 07:02 by Flyer92122.

Bonuses are usually evaluated in the context of objectives.

Do a great job measured against your objectives and you get a bigger bonus.

So, what were Mr Gardner's and Mr Harris's objectives? Knowing them would explain a lot.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bonuses are usually evaluated in the context of
> objectives.
>
> Do a great job measured against your objectives
> and you get a bigger bonus.
>
> So, what were Mr Gardner's and Mr Harris's
> objectives? Knowing them would explain a lot.

Cost cutting beyond the NEC. 

Since Gardner is so much in love with state funded corridors under 750 miles, let's terminate such federal funding for the 456-mile NEC spine so he can spend his time groveling among 8 state houses to keep it running and from falling apart. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
> Cost cutting beyond the NEC. 
>
> Since Gardner is so much in love with state funded
> corridors under 750 miles, let's terminate such
> federal funding for the 456-mile NEC spine so he
> can spend his time groveling among 8 state houses
> to keep it running and from falling apart.

Good people, I do understand your pain with the fact that Amtrak is so poorly operated, especially with the long-distance trains.  But please understand, as I have ridden many times on the Northeast Corridor to and from New York City, that this is a very busy railroad that hauls thousands of passengers every year.  At the same time, it is an expensive railroad to keep up because of the fact that the Pennsylvania Railroad built it so many years ago, and there are so many places where it needs to be upgraded, like tunnels and bridges.  But it is too important not to maintain as not only does Amtrak run on this line, but several commuter carriers also use it as well as some freight trains.  Unless you are aware of the horrible traffic conditions in this part of the country, you cannot understand why we need this railroad as I just cannot imagine what life would be like without it, most likely total gridlock.  Thus, no matter what people across the nation think, the Northeast Corridor must be upgraded and maintained to move people.  Yes, I agree that we do need all of the long-distance trains in the rest of the country and even more routes.  We do need new proper leadership with Amtrak and the sooner, the better.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

dadonatrain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great news if you’re an Amtrak exec. Maybe not
> so much for the rest of us?
>
> Posted from iPhone

Also reported in detail https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-paid-2-3-million-in-executive-bonuses-in-2021-despite-lower-revenue-ridership/
 

Note that the NY Times had to use a Freedom of Information act request to pry loose this info.

Increased "customer satisfaction" played a role in the bonus payout...

Amtrak's needs the $766,000 bonus money from Gardener to pay back passengers for horribly late or non-operating trains.

Gardener should be thrown out the front door of Amtrak into the street.......

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> > Cost cutting beyond the NEC. 
> >
> > Since Gardner is so much in love with state
> funded
> > corridors under 750 miles, let's terminate such
> > federal funding for the 456-mile NEC spine so
> he
> > can spend his time groveling among 8 state
> houses
> > to keep it running and from falling apart.
>
> Good people, I do understand your pain with the
> fact that Amtrak is so poorly operated, especially
> with the long-distance trains.  But please
> understand, as I have ridden many times on the
> Northeast Corridor to and from New York City, that
> this is a very busy railroad that hauls thousands
> of passengers every year.  At the same time, it
> is an expensive railroad to keep up because of the
> fact that the Pennsylvania Railroad built it so
> many years ago, and there are so many places where
> it needs to be upgraded, like tunnels and
> bridges.  But it is too important not to maintain
> as not only does Amtrak run on this line, but
> several commuter carriers also use it as well as
> some freight trains.  Unless you are aware of the
> horrible traffic conditions in this part of the
> country, you cannot understand why we need this
> railroad as I just cannot imagine what life would
> be like without it, most likely total gridlock. 
> Thus, no matter what people across the nation
> think, the Northeast Corridor must be upgraded and
> maintained to move people.  Yes, I agree that we
> do need all of the long-distance trains in the
> rest of the country and even more routes.  We do
> need new proper leadership with Amtrak and the
> sooner, the better.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

You make an argument how important the NEC railroad is to those of you living in the northeast and mid atlantic. How about those states then assuming responsibility for the corridor. Let them hire Amtrak or some other operator to run intercity service on the NEC, but they get to pay for all the capital costs and not distribute them over the LDTs -- no snow removal cost assigned to MIA. This is essence what CA does with the Captiol Corridor, Surfliner, and San Joaquin services.

It's part of the corrupt bureaucrats' game, to reward themselves. Amtrak is no less corrupt than most, and maybe more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/22 08:41 by GenePoon.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's part of the corrupt bureaucrats' game, to reward themselves. Amtrak is no less corrupt than most, and maybe more.

As if management in the private sector isn't about rewarding themselves?

WP17 Wrote:

> You make an argument how important the NEC
> railroad is to those of you living in the
> northeast and mid Atlantic. How about those states
> then assuming responsibility for the corridor. Let
> them hire Amtrak or some other operator to run
> intercity service on the NEC, but they get to pay
> for all the capital costs and not distribute them
> over the LDTs -- no snow removal cost assigned to
> MIA. This is essence what CA does with the Capitol
> Corridor, Surfliner, and San Joaquin services.

The only way to get through to management's behavior is an existential threat to their existence, not to the national network, because that is what they want to happen, but to their beloved NEC, which they regard as a federal entitlement. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/22 09:00 by joemvcnj.

Lets also understand - even if they were snowed in the process - that it's the Board of Directors, in this case, that would have signed off on Gardner's perforance bonuses.

The NEC-Centric Board is a problem, but they do not endorse miserable customer service, dysfunctional IT, and mechanical breakdowns adding to various operating costs either.
 
In any case, Congress is their real Board. 

The 48 comments to the NYT article are devastating. Several from people now on real trains complaining about execs on the gravy train.

I didn't realize Ellie Acheson still worked for Amtrak. I thought she departed years ago. Still collecting her bonus.

Posted from Android

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's part of the corrupt bureaucrats' game, to
> reward themselves. Amtrak is no less corrupt than
> most, and maybe more.
>
> As if management in the private sector isn't about
> rewarding themselves?

"Private sector" means it is privately funded. They can "reward themselves"
all they want without government/taxpayer money. That's what "private" means.