AMTRAK SAYS TRANSPORTATION MUST
BE THE CENTERPIECE OF ANY PLAN TO TRANSFORM NORTHEAST CORRIDOR
NEC is not just a piece of real estate

WASHINGTON — Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman issued the following statement today regarding proposed legislation by House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica and House Railroad Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster on privatizing the Northeast Corridor and the Amtrak national network:

 "Any plan for transforming the Northeast Corridor (NEC) must make transportation the centerpiece of the effort.  The NEC is not just a piece of real estate — it is a major transportation artery and a vital component of the regional economy carrying more than 250,000 intercity and commuter passengers every day.

"The Mica/Shuster proposal takes Amtrak apart only to put something in its place that looks quite similar.  I hope to have a serious and constructive discussion about how rail operations in the Northeast should be managed, but it appears this bill will be rushed through committee next week.

"We should have our eyes open to the possibility of innovations that can improve the NEC and Amtrak provides the region the best opportunity to achieve the needed improvements. The NEC is a success under Amtrak stewardship and many components of our next-generation high-speed rail vision plan are already moving forward.

"We're going to have to take a careful look at the proposal because we don't want to run the risk of adopting something that won't work, that compromises safety, or that simply costs more than we can afford.

"We have a basic duty to the public to ensure that we're looking after their interests, and the last thing the Northeast needs is a plan that's poorly thought through and that doesn't take key issues into account."

 JEFFREY GEARY TO LEAD AMTRAK OPERATIONS
Recognized rail operations professional joins Amtrak
with focus on delivering quality service for passengers

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announces that Jeffrey E. Geary is joining America’s Railroad^sm as vice president of operations to provide leadership and oversight of the transportation, engineering and mechanical departments. He began serving in his new position on June 20, 2011.

Geary has more than 30 years of experience in the railroad industry, with proven experience in operations, budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning and performance management. This appointment is the latest effort by Amtrak to create a high-performing organization that is aligned to deliver excellent service.

“Jeff is a highly respected and dedicated railroad professional with a strong desire to increase safety on the railroad for our passengers and employees,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman. “His leadership is key for the effective operation of the railroad which directly impacts the travel experience of our passengers and ultimately the success of Amtrak.”

Geary’s oversight responsibilities are fundamental to the delivery of service including the train crews, the locomotives and other train equipment, and the Amtrak-owned infrastructure on the Northeast Corridor and elsewhere around the country.

“I am excited to join the Amtrak team during this time when record numbers of passengers are boarding our trains,” stated Geary. “Amtrak is a vital component of the national transportation system and we must work to advance safety, improve on-time performance and enhance the delivery of service for our customers.”

Geary most recently served as vice president and chief operating officer of the Florida East Coast Railroad and Highway Trucking Services. He began his career with CONRAIL where he spent 21 years serving in various operating positions including trainmaster, terminal superintendent and director of operations for one of their largest divisions. In addition, he has held leadership positions at Rail Link and Rail America, Inc.

This position is based in Wilmington, Del. where the Amtrak Consolidated National Operations Center (CNOC) is located, allowing Geary to be close to the functions, departments and employees he will oversee.

About Jeffrey E. Geary

Jeffrey E. Geary is a highly experienced professional and manager with more than 30 years experience in the railroad industry.

Geary started his career in 1978 with CONRAIL where he spent 21 years in several operating positions including trainmaster, terminal superintendent and director of operations for one of their largest divisions.

In 2000, he joined CSXT as assistant general manager of the Baltimore Division. At CSXT, Geary completed training in Six Sigma and attained Master Black Belt status which provided the necessary training and mentoring for clear decisive direction to make process improvements.

From 2005 to 2007, Geary worked for Rail Link in Jacksonville, Fla. where he provided leadership for eight short lines and one transload logistics operation.

In 2007 he joined Rail America, Inc., as regional vice-president, southeast region, responsible for eight short line properties. This was the best financial region in 2009, and was injury and incident free for 14 months.

He most recently served as vice-president and chief operating officer of the Florida East Coast Railroad and Highway Trucking Services in Jacksonville, Fla., from 2009 to 2010. While in this position, he improved the bottom line, developed a new safety culture and increased on-time performance.

Geary has completed the Executive Management Transportation course at Penn State University, along with media crisis training and 10 years of hazmat training.

MAY MARKS 19 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS
OF AMTRAK RIDERSHIP GROWTH
More passengers riding long-distance trains

WASHINGTON – May marked 19 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth for Amtrak.  It was the best May ever with more than 2.6 million passengers and keeps America’s Railroad^sm on track to set another annual ridership record.

The long-distance trains have experienced year-over-year passenger increases in 18 of those 19 months, making a significant contribution to the extended streak of national ridership growth. In addition, advance reservations for summer travel indicate increased ridership on long-distance trains in June, July and August.  This strong performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Comparing the first eight months of FY 2011 (October – May) to the same time period in FY 2010, national Amtrak ridership is up 6.7 percent so far this fiscal year and all three major business lines are showing gains: the Northeast Corridor up 5.3 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 8.2 percent, and long-distance trains up 5.5 percent.

Northeast Highlights

On the Northeast Corridor, ridership for the high-speed Acela Express experienced a 5.1 percent increase in May 2011 vs. May 2010. In addition, May was the best month on record for the increasingly popular Northeast Regional service carrying 693,268 passengers, which represents a 10.1 percent increase over the same month last year. Amtrak state-supported Ethan Allen (New York – Rutland, Vt.) and Adirondack (New York – Montreal) lines had impressive ridership gains with 24.5 percent and 21.2 percent respectively, when compared to the same time period last year. In addition, Virginia routes had sizable gains with Washington – Lynchburg at 43.4 percent and Washington – Newport News at 32.9 percent.

Central Highlights

State-supported Amtrak services in the Central U.S. continue to post impressive gains from year-ago figures, including the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City – St. Louis), up 28.8 percent, Blue Water (Chicago – East Lansing – Port Huron) with a 22 percent increase, Illini/Saluki (Chicago – Champaign – Carbondale) up 23 percent and Carl Sandburg/Illinois Zephyr (Chicago – Quincy) with a 13.7 percent increase.

The busiest corridor in the Chicago Hub, the Hiawatha Service (Chicago – Milwaukee), continues on a pace to carry more than 800,000 passengers this year, with an increase of 6.7 percent in May.

West Highlights

In the West, strong ridership continued in May 2011 on all of the three California state-supported routes when compared to May 2010. The Capitol Corridor (Auburn – Sacramento – Emeryville/San Francisco – San Jose) was up 9.7 percent; the San Joaquin (Oakland/Sacramento – Bakersfield) up 12.8 percent; and the Pacific Surfliner (San Diego – Los Angeles – Santa Barbara – San Luis Obispo) up 4.3 percent over the same month last year. Ridership on the Amtrak Cascades (Eugene, Ore. – Seattle – Vancouver, B.C.) also was up by more than 6.5 percent.

National Highlights

Despite lengthy weather-related disruptions for two of the 15 trains, the overnight services reported an increase of 4.6 percent, lead by double-digit increases on the Lake Shore Limited (Chicago – New York/Boston), Sunset Limited (Los Angeles – New Orleans), Silver Star (New York – Miami), Auto Train (Lorton, Va., – Sanford, Fla.) and Southwest Chief (Los Angeles – Chicago).

Factors contributing to the continuing success of Amtrak include high gasoline prices which have trended higher, continued growth in business travel on the high-speed Acela Express trains with Wi-Fi service, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, and effective marketing campaigns.

The streak of 19 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth began in November 2009.

For more Amtrak News and Information, go to Amtrak.com