Rail Passengers Statement on Mass Firings at Amtrak

For Immediate Release (25-09)

Contact: Joe Aiello ([email protected])

Statement from Rail Passengers Association President and CEO Jim Mathews on Reports of Mass Firings at Amtrak

Washington, D.C.—Rail Passengers Association President and CEO Jim Mathews issued the following statement in the wake of reports that Amtrak executives fired around 450 employees in response to pressure from the Trump Administration to achieve an operational profit in the next four years:

“Rail Passengers is very concerned that these personnel cuts will hinder Amtrak’s ability to efficiently serve America’s passengers and manage the scores of major construction projects that Congress funded through the Infrastructure Investment in Jobs Act (IIJA). We’ve particularly concerned about reports that Amrak has laid off members of its procurement team and capital delivery team, who are playing a vital role in managing billions of dollars worth of investments that will address the railroad’s crippling state-of-good-repair backlog. Our Association is calling on Amtrak to provide a high-level explanation to the public of why these firings were enacted at this particular point in time, which departments will be affected, and how these personnel cuts will impact operations and capital programs.

“If, as is being reported, Amtrak chose to pursue these cuts to achieve operational profitability—a goal not required in any law passed by Congress, during a period of record taxpayer subsidies to the federal interstate highway system—Rail Passengers strenuously disagrees with this decision. This move has the potential to undermine billions of dollars worth of long-term recapitalization efforts to save millions in its operating budget. Amtrak only recently announced record levels of ridership and revenue, both nationally and on key State-supported corridors; we believe the American public is best served by a strategy of improving its operating ratio by growing service.

“Just last week we saw an air traffic control system meltdown at Newark Liberty International Airport—yet another symptom of the federal government’s unwillingness to engage in sustained investment in the physical infrastructure, technology, and human resources that undergird the U.S. economy and our American way of life. The IIJA represents a meaningful investment in the renewal of our nation’s rail network. However, if we walk away from that investment less than four years after it was passed into law, we will be committeing to inefficient and unreliable train service for generations to come.”

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About the Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, 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.