Passenger Trains > Amtrak Board Meeting

Just curious how many TO members are going to be listening into the amtrak board meeting this Thursday 12-1 at 10am central time

I signed up and submitted a couple questions

Hope many of our questions will be answered

Posted from iPhone

I bet it's gonna be a worthless meeting if the Amtrak Board sticks with Gardner's view of Amtrak!

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> I bet it's gonna be a worthless meeting if the
> Amtrak Board sticks with Gardner's view of Amtrak!

And people say I'm negative...

I suspect there will be a large amount of people attending this.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> I bet it's gonna be a worthless meeting if the
> Amtrak Board sticks with Gardner's view of
> Amtrak!

Which year(s) were you Pro Amtrak?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/22 05:16 by jeff56.

Gardner and his cronies have got to go and the board needs to put some genuine pro passenger rail people in charge.  Someone who will not be afraid to kick some butt and get those dead beats out of the Chicago Maintenance Dept. of Amtrak.  All passenger cars should be repaired and all trains should once again operate with the proper amount and types of cars that should be on each route.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Can u tell me if Amtrak is going to open this up to U Tube or some other form as I would love to see this as an interested Employee

Posted from iPhone

mobujr Wrote:
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> Can u tell me if Amtrak is going to open this up
> to U Tube or some other form as I would love to
> see this as an interested Employee
>
> Posted from iPhone

They haven't said. The emails I got did not indicate. Will certainly let you know if they do.

amtrakbill Wrote:
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> Just curious how many TO members are going to be
> listening into the amtrak board meeting this
> Thursday 12-1 at 10am central time
>
> I signed up and submitted a couple questions
>
> Hope many of our questions will be answered....Or ignored!
You have a better chance of seeing The National Limited return!

Wonder if the Board is rehearsing their boiler plate answers with their lexicon of MBA jargon to various questions. 

Wow.  The cynicism is stunning.

I think this is a very positive step, allowing the public to see what is going on and to ask questions.  My guess is that it will show the board, and Gardner, that the LD network is important to travelers.

It could well be that the board wants Gardner to hear this.  It is one way to drive home the point without driving home the point.  As a politician myself, and a former academic administrator, I understand this technique.  It may well work.

Chessie1963 Wrote:
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> Wow.  The cynicism is stunning.
>
> I think this is a very positive step, allowing the
> public to see what is going on and to ask
> questions.  My guess is that it will show the
> board, and Gardner, that the LD network is
> important to travelers.
>
> It could well be that the board wants Gardner to
> hear this.  It is one way to drive home the point
> without driving home the point.  As a politician
> myself, and a former academic administrator, I
> understand this technique.  It may well work.

I hope you're right.  FWIW...many here i expect, like me, have worked in big business, and, for myself, I cant remember ever being at a meeting that was open to the public, where it wasnt like a listening to a presidential press secretary.    The ppl conductiing the meeting have an agenda to sell, and they will spin every answer, or just ignore questions they dont want to answer.

I will be incredibly amazed if anyone on the amtk board says "we've made mistakes, and we want to right the ship. "    Ppl are sometimes honest in private, but when it comes to the general public,  its usually just a show.

pdt Wrote:
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> Chessie1963 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wow.  The cynicism is stunning.
> >
> > I think this is a very positive step, allowing
> the
> > public to see what is going on and to ask
> > questions.  My guess is that it will show the
> > board, and Gardner, that the LD network is
> > important to travelers.
> >
> > It could well be that the board wants Gardner
> to
> > hear this.  It is one way to drive home the
> point
> > without driving home the point.  As a
> politician
> > myself, and a former academic administrator, I
> > understand this technique.  It may well work.
>
> I hope you're right.  FWIW...many here i expect,
> like me, have worked in big business, and, for
> myself, I cant remember ever being at a meeting
> that was open to the public, where it wasnt like a
> listening to a presidential press secretary.   
> The ppl conductiing the meeting have an agenda to
> sell, and they will spin every answer, or just
> ignore questions they dont want to answer.
>
> I will be incredibly amazed if anyone on the amtk
> board says "we've made mistakes, and we want to
> right the ship. "    Ppl are sometimes honest
> in private, but when it comes to the general
> public,  its usually just a show.

What's unclear to me is how much this field trip for the Board is intended to show Congress that Amtrak really cares about the middle of the US.  With the terrible service and many unhappy customers, I have to believe Congress has received an earful. From passengers, unions, state legislatures that fund some operations, etc.  Maybe this listening trip is intended to convey Amtrak "really cares"

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow.  The cynicism is stunning.
>
> I think this is a very positive step, allowing the
> public to see what is going on and to ask
> questions.  My guess is that it will show the
> board, and Gardner, that the LD network is
> important to travelers.
>
> It could well be that the board wants Gardner to
> hear this.  It is one way to drive home the point
> without driving home the point.  As a politician
> myself, and a former academic administrator, I
> understand this technique.  It may well work.

The Board is required to have one open to the public meeting per year by Congress, so this is the one. Why they picked St Louis, I don't know.

Posted from Android

Board meeting is being recorded.

Can you hear it anywhere.

Board meeting is being recorded. One really interesting point Gardner made to a question by Jim Mathews about workforce was that Amtrak did not furlough any mechanical or engineering employees and that the entire shortage there is due to attrition and not being able to hire during the downturn to keep up with attrition.

TexasChief Wrote:
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> Can you hear it anywhere.

I’m guessing it will be released afterwards.