May 2011 - Amtrak

2 | May 2011 Amtrak Ink
Train of Thought
Happy anniversary, Amtrak! When Amtrak began operations
40 years ago, there were doubters who said it
wouldn’t last. Today, we are a strong company that
manages a network of long-distance, corridor and high-speed rail
service that connects communities and modes of transportation,
and sets ridership records.
In times of crisis in our nation, Amtrak has been there to
provide the mobility and the connectivity our country needed,
whether it was gas crises, hurricanes or 9/11. In times of economic
prosperity, we’ve helped drive local economies; in times of
fiscal constraint, we’ve connected communities so that people
who had to commute farther to stay employed had options.
We’ve delivered for our nation and we will continue to do so.
I know a lot of CEOs say this, but our employees are truly the
backbone of our operation. It’s your expertise, your love of the
mission, your dedication and your hard work that give shape to
what Amtrak is today, and what it can be in the future. I want to
thank you for your service and to let you know that I appreciate
the role you play — because every one of us plays a role — in
making Amtrak successful.
In addition to having a dedicated workforce, we continue to
build the support of our customers, as well as our freight, state
and commuter partners. While they have been key to the development
of the first 40 years, they will be even more so in the
coming decades, as our nation’s leadership prepares to make
unprecedented investments in passenger rail.
There are still cynics out there who maintain uninformed and
outdated perceptions of Amtrak. Despite growing support for
passenger rail, securing federal funding support in a tight budget
Corrections: The item
“40-Days Travel Promo for the
40th” in the April issue of
Amtrak Ink misstated the
terms of the promotion. The
discount is available for one
child per paying adult (not
three). Also, the third column
for the schedule for the 40th
Anniversary Exhibit Train
should have been labeled
“July.” We regret the errors.
Amtrak Employee and Customer Communications
Joe McHugh, Vice President Margaret Sherry, Sr. Director Jennifer Moore, Editor
Govt. Affairs & Corp. Comms. Employee & Customer Comms. Amtrak Ink
Erika Cotton Julia Quinn, Coordinator Doug Riddell
Manager Digital and Social Media Photographer
Marlon Sharpe Collin King Sharon Slaton
Principal Graphic Designer Graphic Specialist Manager
Amtrak Headquarters • 60 Massachusetts Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20002 • Ecom@Amtrak.com
Amtrak – Chicago Office • 525 West Van Buren Street Chicago, IL 60605
Amtrak Ink is a monthly employee publication of Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
® AMTRAK is a registered service mark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation © 2011 National Railroad Passenger Corporation
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climate will continue to be
challenging. But we are
resilient, and we will continue
to forge on with our
mission of being
America’s railroad.
We have weathered 40
years pretty well. And not
only are we still standing,
but we have earned many
more friends and supporters
and have plans for the
future that we’re putting
into action already with
Joseph H. Boardman
new equipment purchases
and plans for 220 mph high-speed rail.
Our anniversary celebration will last all year, with the Exhibit
Train traveling to locations all over the country. I hope you’ll
have the opportunity to visit the train, because it was designed
for you. I also want to express my gratitude to the 40th
Anniversary Team (comprising members of the Government
Affairs and Corporate Communications, Marketing and Product
Development, Mechanical — and its Rolling Stock Engineering
group — and Transportation departments), the employees at
Bear and Beech Grove, and others who put in long hours and
took on extra duties to create the 40th anniversary exhibit train
for our workforce.
Happy 40th and thank you for your support. ■