May 2011 - Amtrak

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8 | May 2011 Amtrak Ink Telling Amtrak’s ‘American Story’: Order the Book or DVD Today Drawing on four decades of archival photographs, Amtrak: An American Story highlights the employees, trains and technology that have made rail travel possible since 1971. Published by Amtrak and written and compiled largely by company employees, the book includes a timeline and personal narratives for each decade. Another feature, a pictoral Day in the Life, offers a nationwide look at Amtrak’s current operations. For All Who Made It Possible: Thank You! The anniversary celebrations would not be possible without the efforts of all of the dedicated Amtrak employees who offered their time, expertise, historical knowledge and company artifacts to mark the 40th. Special thanks to the men and women at the mechanical facilities for their work on the anniversary locomotives and Exhibit Train cars. The Exhibit Train will tour the country over the next year, starting in the Northeast. Thanks, also, to the employees on the anniversary committee who compiled the book, collected and categorized the hundreds of items donated and loaned for the anniversary train and created the The employees at the mechanical shop in Beech Grove, Ind., repainted locomotives for the anniversary in each the four major paint schemes used by Amtrak. exhibits — among countless other roles. And, finally, thanks to all of the many others who have volunteered to help with anniversary-related events, or will volunteer in the future. For more information on how you can help and to get updates on the Exhibit Train schedule, go to www.Amtrak40th.com. ■ Also available is an anniversary DVD — “Amtrak: The First 40 Years, 1971-2011”— which includes hard-to-find archival and current footage and photos. Both can be purchased through the company’s anniversary website, www.Amtrak40th.com, as well as through the online company store on Amtrak.com. The cost of the book $19.95; cost of the DVD is $24.95. ■ Honoring Employees Amtrak has created a photo-montage video that reflects the pride Amtrak employees feel about themselves and their company. Also: go behind-the-scenes to see how employees created the 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train. Both videos can be viewed on Amtrak’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/Amtrak. Photo: Ric Amos
Last month, Congress approved a federal budget for the current fiscal year — which runs through September — that includes just over $1.48 billion for Amtrak. Of that amount, $562 million is for operating expenses, $277 million for debt service and $645 million for capital expenses. The outcome “could have been much more painful,” President and CEO Joe Boardman noted, given deeper cuts in previous budget proposals and a very tough budget-cutting environment. Even so, the figure reflects an $81-million reduction over last year’s funding level. Boardman said he is hopeful the company will be able to offset much of the impact of the cut “if we continue to generate strong revenue and continue cost-saving initiatives.” In response to the budget figures, the company is currently taking a number of steps, including limiting travel and other discretionary spending and postponing hiring decisions for some jobs not considered safety-essential. “We are living in a tough budget climate, and I am thankful for the support we have earned with friends — new and old — on Capitol Hill,” $1.6 said Boardman. $1.5 Next up for considera- $1.4 tion is the FY ’12 federal budget. $1.3 Amtrak is requesting a $1.2 total of $2.22 billion for $1.1 next year, which would include $616 million to $1.0 support operations, $1.285 billion for capital programs and $271 million for debt service. With the exception of the $50 million the company has requested for its Northeast Corridor Gateway project in New York, and some additional debt service money to buy out leases, these levels are in sync with those authorized by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. Boardman cautioned that given the current economic climate, persuading lawmakers to approve this level of support will likely prove even more challenging than in the previous budget negotiations. Yet as he told the House members last month, making such an investment is a criti- Amtrak Ink May 2011 | 9 Final FY ’11 Budget Enacted Bigger Challenges Ahead as FY ’12 Negotiations Continue When the first phase of the Strategic Asset Management (SAM) goes live in early June, some 1,700 employees will begin using SAP in combination with updated versions of Exacta, E-Trax/Ariba and Maximo. While to the outsider this may appear to be a simple systems upgrade, this first activation of the SAM solution represents the single biggest business process re-engineering and systems implementation in Amtrak history. This first release of SAM puts a new financial system in place that integrates previously separate business processes and systems and consequently enables employees to better see how the use of materials, time and dollars fit together. While the primary impact of this phase is in the Finance, Materials Management and Procurement departments, employees in other areas who perform administrative, reporting, project-planning and budgeting activities are also included. Total in Billions $1.294 2007 Amtrak Appropriations History $1.325 2008 $1.490 2009 Fiscal Year $1.565 2010 $1.484 2011 cal step toward strengthening the country’s transportation infrastructure. Boardman stressed that the company has developed great experience in wisely spending its capital funds, as evidenced by the recent success with the $1.3 billion in stimulus funds. He also emphasized that Amtrak procures most of its goods and services in the United States, creating jobs. Passenger rail service provides significant economic development to many regions of the country, Boardman said. ■ Because the go-live date was moved from April to early June, the SAM Program is providing Refresher Training courses during May. The courses will target critical users in each department who have already completed the original SAM Training. Refresher training will cover scenarios of the key transactions that employees will need to perform their routine assignments, giving them a more task specific understanding of the system. During the transition beginning June 1, some systems will be temporarily unavailable as they are integrated into SAM. These include SAP, E-Trax/Ariba, the Employee Information Portal and Time Collection Systems. Notices will be sent out with specific details about when and for how long such systems will be off-line. For more information, visit the Amtrak intranet → “How We Work” → “SAM,” or send an email to SAM@Amtrak.com. ■
Page 1 and 2: i n k A Monthly Publication for and
Page 3 and 4: Amtrak Ink May 2011 | 3 Marking Fou
Page 5 and 6: “I T WAS A SUNDAY, January 4, 198
Page 7: “T HE FIRST DECADE of the 21st Ce
Page 11 and 12: $2,600. Repairing and refurbishing
Page 13 and 14: Amtrak Ink May 2011 | 13 Schedule C
Page 15 and 16: Blair Slaughter, principal engineer
Page 17 and 18: Company Offers Interactive Website
Page 19 and 20: Employee Milestones Congratulations

May 2011 - Amtrak

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