[United States Government Manual]
[June 01, 1999]
[Pages 615-616]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION (AMTRAK)

60 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20002

Phone, 202-906-3000
Board of Directors:                                 

Chairman                                          Tommy Thompson
Members                                           Michael Dukakis, 
                                                          Linwood 
                                                          Holton, Amy 
                                                          Rosen, John 
                                                          Robert Smith, 
                                                          (vacancy)
Member ex officio (Secretary of Transportation)   Rodney E. Slater

Officers:                                           

President and Chief Executive Officer             George D. Warrington
Vice President, Operations                        Ron Scolaro
Chief Financial Officer                           Arlene Friner
Vice President, Customer Relations and Revenue    Anne W. Hoey
Corporate Secretary                               Barbara Richardson, 
                                                          Acting
Executive Vice President                          Barbara Richardson
Vice President, Government Affairs                Sandra J. Brown
Vice President, Human Resources                   Lorraine A. Green
Vice President, Labor                             Joseph M. Bress
President, Amtrak West                            Gilbert O. Mallery
President, Amtrak Northeast Corridor              E.S. Bagley, Jr.
President, Amtrak Intercity                       Lee Bullock
Vice President and General Counsel                Sarah Duggin
Vice President, High Speed Rail Development       David J. Carol

[For the National Railroad Passenger Corporation statement of 
        organization, see the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, 
        Part 700]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation was established to develop 
the potential of modern rail service in meeting the Nation's intercity 
passenger transportation needs.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) was created by the 
Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, as amended (49 U.S.C. 241), and was 
incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia to provide a 
balanced national transportation system by developing, operating, and 
improving U.S. intercity rail passenger service.
    Section 411 of the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 (49 
U.S.C. 24302) changed Amtrak's Board of Directors structure from a nine-
member panel to a seven-member Reform Board, including the Secretary of 
Transportation and six others appointed by the President with the advice 
and consent of the Senate. The Reform Board assumed responsibilities of 
the Board of Directors in July, 1998. The Corporation is managed by its 
President/Chief Executive Officer, along with the chief financial 
officer, eight vice presidents, and three

[[Page 616]]

presidents of strategic business units (SBU's).
    The three SBU's, the Northeast Corridor, the Intercity, and the 
West, were created during Amtrak's restructuring in the fall of 1994 in 
order to increase profitability. Each SBU has a president who has 
control over business decisions in his area. The Northeast Corridor has 
been successful in expanding operations south, through Richmond to 
Newport News.
    Amtrak operates an average of 212 trains per day, serving over 540 
station locations in 45 States, over a system of approximately 24,500 
route miles. Of this route system, Amtrak owns less than 1,000 track 
miles in the Northeast Corridor (Washington-New York-Boston; New Haven-
Springfield; Philadelphia-Harrisburg), and several other small track 
segments throughout the country, purchased pursuant to the Regional Rail 
Reorganization Act of 1973 (45 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) and the Railroad 
Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 801 et 
seq.).
    Amtrak owns or leases its stations and owns its own repair and 
maintenance facilities. The Corporation employs a total work force of 
approximately 23,000 and provides all reservation, station, and on-board 
service staffs, as well as train and engine operating crews. Outside the 
Northeast Corridor, Amtrak has historically contracted with 14 privately 
owned railroads for the right to operate over their track and has 
compensated each railroad for its total package of services. Under 
contract, these railroads are responsible for the condition of the 
roadbed and for coordinating the flow of traffic.
    In fiscal year 1998, Amtrak transported over 21 million people 
approximately 5.5 billion passenger miles. In addition, under contracts 
with several transit agencies, Amtrak carried over 48 million commuters.
    Although Amtrak's basic route system was originally designated by 
the Secretary of Transportation in 1971, modifications have been made to 
the Amtrak system and to individual routes that have resulted in more 
efficient and cost-effective operations. Currently, in the face of 
ongoing budget constraints, new service will only be added if a State 
agrees to share any losses associated with the new service or if the new 
service demonstrates satisfactory market support.
    Amtrak began operation in 1971 with an antiquated fleet of equipment 
inherited from private railroads; some cars were nearly 30 years old. 
Since then, the fleet has been modernized and new state-of-the-art 
single- and bi-level passenger cars and locomotives have been added.
    Systemwide ridership is steadily rising, 4.5 percent in fiscal year 
1998, and Amtrak is finding it increasingly difficult to meet the 
demands of increased travel patterns with its limited passenger fleet. 
To ease these equipment constraints, the Corporation is working to 
identify innovative funding sources in order to acquire additional 
passenger cars and locomotives.
    Although no rail passenger system in the world makes a profit, 
Amtrak has made significant progress in reducing its dependence on 
Federal support, while at the same time improving the quality of 
service. Every year Amtrak moves closer to increasing the ratio of its 
earned revenue to total costs, even though its Federal appropriations 
decrease. Amtrak's appropriation for the current fiscal year is 
approximately 50 percent below that for fiscal year 1978 (in constant 
dollars).

For further information, contact the Public Affairs Department, Amtrak, 
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20002. Phone, 202-906-3860.