Arrive - Summer/Fall 2016

14 ;rrıve • Summer/Fall 2016 • ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;.;;; It’s at these times that I’m reminded of how Amtrak is part of these and so many other communities—more than 500 across the country. We strive not just to move America where it wants to go with superior safety, customer service and financial excellence, but also to be a respected neighbor. Building relationships with communities—seeing firsthand the connectivity and economic impacts of Amtrak service— has been a highlight of my eight years with the company.

As I near retirement this fall, I can truly
say that leading Amtrak has been a cap-
stone in a career spanning business own-
ership and public service at the state and
federal levels. Back in May, during a cer-
emony marking Amtrak’s 45th anniversary,
I had the pleasure of sitting down with four
past Amtrak presidents and hearing about
their experiences. Talking with them, I re-
alized that in the end we all had the same
goal—to leave Amtrak better than we found
it, ready to face the future with confidence.
In recent years, innovations like e Tick-
eting and mobile apps have made it easier
than ever to book and change reserva-
tions, while Wi-Fi connections, available on
trains carrying 91 percent of all customers,
help you stay connected on the go. Recog-
nizing that pets are part of the family, too,
Amtrak has implemented a program that
Facing the Future with Confidence

allows customers to travel with their small cat or dog on select trains. Cycling enthusiasts are taking advantage of expanded walk-on/walk-up bicycle service to access recreational areas and trails.

Strong collaboration with our state partners and a close examination of market conditions led to the extension of

Downeaster service from Portland, Maine, north to Brunswick, while in Virginia, Northeast Regional service to Lynchburg and Norfolk has proven immensely popular.

New Thruway bus services in areas such as the Gulf Coast and Montana have broadened access to the Amtrak national network for communities not directly served by our trains.

Long-term capital investments will increase the reliability of our fleet and services. Seventy new Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS- 64) electric locomotives now pull trains on the NEC and Keystone Corridor, while manufacture of single-level dining and sleeping cars for Eastern overnight trains continues. We are also refining concepts for technologically advanced high-speed trainsets intended for next-genera-tion Acela Express service.

I also believe we’ve made important strides informing the public and state and national leaders about the need to rebuild the NEC, which includes century-old tun- not to steal glances out the window on my trips along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Traveling through Philadelphia, the fanciful buildings of Boathouse Row draw the eye, rowers gliding across the Schuylkill’s placid waters. As the train skirts the edge of Long Island Sound in Connecticut, you often spot children scampering across sandy beaches.

Sometimes the trains come to a brief stop as bridges along
this portion of the railroad open for passing boats.
all aboard!

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nels and bridges that are simply approach-

ing the end of their useful lives. More than

2,000 daily trains accommodate 750,000

commuter and Amtrak passenger trips on the NEC every day, and the railroad is at capacity. The NEC must be renewed in partnership with state and federal stakeholders if it is to e;ciently serve a region projected to welcome 12 million additional residents by 2040.

On behalf of the entire Amtrak family, I thank you for choosing us to meet your travel needs. Your support, evident in the

10 annual ridership records we’ve set in the last 13 years, is what drives us to work harder to strengthen the railroad today, and for the generations to follow. We appreciate your honest feedback on what we do well, and what we could do better.