Rail Passengers Congratulates Gardner On New Amtrak Role

For Immediate Release (20-11)

Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail (202) 320-2723; [email protected]

Rail Passengers Congratulates Gardner On New Amtrak Role

Association Looks Forward To Helping Gardner Carry Out Congressional Mandates

Washington, D.C – The Rail Passengers Association today congratulated Stephen Gardner on his appointment to a new role as President of Amtrak.

"We look forward to working with him and CEO Bill Flynn over the next year to ensure that Amtrak successfully weathers the coronavirus pandemic and returns to breaking ridership records and serving Americans in small towns and big cities across the country," said Rail Passengers CEO Jim Mathews.

Gardner is assuming these duties at a pivotal time. Just last week, Amtrak Chairman Tony Coscia wrote that, to get through this pandemic, the company needed to rededicate itself to its congressional mandate to provide efficient and high-quality service throughout the U.S. without regard to profit.

Mr. Coscia also declared the central role of long-distance service in Amtrak's future expansion plans, noting that Amtrak “trains provide essential transportation and contribute to both economic opportunity and quality of life in places that have long ago been abandoned by the airlines and bus carriers.”

The Congress, too, has offered strong support for the breadth of Amtrak's business from the Northeast Corridor to long-distance National Network trains and new-growth initiatives. Just this month, Senate appropriators declared that “long-distance passenger rail routes and services should be sustained to ensure connectivity throughout the National Network.”

Mr. Gardner has the knowledge and background to carry out this mission, and with his experience in the Senate we believe he will be able to work effectively with Congress to realize the legislators' mandate.

Our Association and our members look forward to continuing our working relationship with Mr. Gardner to return service to pre-pandemic levels and bring the service to more cities and more passengers.

About Rail Passengers Association

The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works and plays in towns all across America.

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