Amtrak, Part Two:The CEO's View

Confidently presenting himself as an industry veteran with a strong commitment and vision for passenger rail in America, new Amtrak CEO Alex Kummant believes significant and positive change is on the horizon for our national rail system:

"My message to veterans would be that we appreciate those who use our service and encourage those who maybe haven’t been on a train in awhile to give us a try," Kummant told Veterans Advantage members in an exclusive interview.

Just off his first 100 days visiting Amtrak locations nationwide and lawmakers in Washington, while installing a new management team, he maintains we need a national rail system now more than ever:

"I believe we are at a pivotal point in the history of rail passenger service. I am committed to operating a national system of trains," Alex Kummant told Congressional subcommittee just days after getting the top job last fall.

"At a time of high oil prices, growing highway and airport congestion and record rail freight volumes, problems which beset and constrain our transportation system, we should be embracing rail and developing it as quickly and as responsibly as we can," he adds.

And although he notes there is considerable room for improvement at Amtrak, Kummant told Veterans Advantage that he inherits an organization that has made great strides in recent years to revitalize its flagging infrastructure. He says more than 70 percent of Amtrak’s locomotives and rolling stock have been refurbished in the past five years. "Improving the state of our equipment in addition to finding new ways to obtain equipment will result in growth in the system."

For instance, he told Congress in his initial testimony that infrastructure changes on the Northeast Corridor -- Amtrak’s biggest part of its business -- has helped cut five minutes of travel time on Acela between New York and Washington. Other regions have benefited as well. A recent infrastructure upgrade in Pennsylvania along the Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia has resulted in an increase of speeds from 90 to 110 mph, and a decrease in average trip times from 120 minutes to 105 minutes.

"In regards to long-term ridership and revenue goals, I do expect that most of growth will come with the expansion of the state corridors," he told Veterans Advantage. Thanks to State support from Illinois, Kummant notes, Amtrak has seen ridership increases running as high as 35.7 percent. The Pennsylvania improvements have popped ridership nearly 16 percent higher.

"This growth is indicative of the public’s growing interest in passenger rail," he said.

Finally, in talks with Congress, Kummant seeks a more conciliatory tone, a welcome change from the controversy surrounding budget proposals and the threat of shutdowns over the last several years. With an outsider’s surprise over the "emotional and at times acrimonious" debate surrounding Amtrak, he looks forward to a new era:

"We should get beyond the debate of a few hundred million dollars of operating costs and begin to realize the potential rail passenger service has to offer with the right level of investment and a clearly defined federal policy," Kummant told Congress.

"I encourage you to offer me your counsel and advice. In that vein, it is my hope that today begins a long and constructive relationship," he adds.

Editor’s note: Tell us what you think. Send us an e-mail and let us know you thoughts on Kummant’s vision for a new Amtrak. We’ll pass them on to him.