National Railroad Passenger Corporation
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amtrak Media Relations, 202 906-3860
ATK-02-065
April 26, 2002

DAVID GUNN APPOINTED AMTRAK PRESIDENT AND CEO
Amtrak Board of Directors Cite Strong Experience and Leadership, Achievements in Service Improvement and Cost Control in Choosing Former Head of Largest U.S. and Canadian Transit Agencies

WASHINGTON, DC - Amtrak Board Chairman John Robert Smith today announced the appointment of David L. Gunn as President and CEO of
the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) effective May 15, 2002.

Gunn has previously headed up both the largest transit system in the United States and in Canada, serving as President of the New York City Transit Agency from 1984 to 1990 and as Chief General Manager of
the Toronto Transit Commission from 1995 to 1999.

"David Gunn comes aboard with exceptional experience and leadership skills to guide Amtrak at a time of tremendous opportunity for the railroad," said Chairman Smith. "David brings to Amtrak an
international reputation of reinvesting in better track and fleet, enhancing service, improving financial performance and planning for the future. He has forged good working relationships with labor, local communities, businesses and all levels of government, and is eager to roll up his sleeves, join forces with employees and stakeholders, and chart a course for Amtrak's success."

"I have always been a proponent of a strong national passenger rail network," said Gunn. "While we face substantial financial and physical challenges, I'm convinced that by securing adequate operational and capital funding, we will be able to rebuild our plant and equipment in an effective and efficient manner, and continue to provide a high-quality service to the travelling public. I'm looking forward to joining Amtrak."

Gunn most recently served as Chief General Manager at the Toronto Transit Commission from 1995 until 1999. Managing the largest transit system in Canada, he led 10,000 employees serving 1.3 million daily
passengers with a system of 1,500 buses, 650 heavy rail cars and 250 streetcars. In this position, he improved the system's cost recovery ratio from 66% to over 80% and implemented a State of Good Repair
Capital Program. Prior to leading the Toronto Transit Commission, Gunn was the General Manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA) from 1991-1994. While at WMATA, Gunn developed the accelerated construction plan and initiated building of three of four
remaining segments of the planned 103-mile rail system. Gunn also developed and implemented a multi-year $1 billion capital
rehabilitation program, and strongly improved productivity at the agency.

Gunn was the President of the New York City Transit Authority from 1984 through 1990, and is credited for establishing strong fiscal controls, corporate goals and performance measures, while rebuilding
track, railcar and bus fleets at the nation's largest transit system.

From 1979 through 1984 Gunn was General Manager/Chief Operations Officer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). In this position, he reduced the system's operating costs
from $138 million to $97 million per year, while rebuilding and replacing its subway cars, buses, trackless trolleys, and trolley
fleets. He also planned and negotiated the takeover of Philadelphia's 400-mile, 800-train-per-day commuter rail system from Conrail and Amtrak.

Among Gunn's other past executive positions, he worked for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as the Director of
Operations in 1975-1979 and as Director of Commuter Rail in 1974-1975. From 1969 through 1974, Gunn was the Assistant
Vice-President for the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. He worked for the New York Central System in 1967-1968 and for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1964-1967 at the beginning of his career.

Gunn graduated from Harvard College in 1959 and continued his education at Harvard Graduate School of Business, where he received his MBA in 1964. From 1959 to 1962, Mr. Gunn served in the U.S. Naval
Reserve.

Effective April 27th, E.S. "Stan" Bagley, Jr. will serve as Acting President and CEO of Amtrak until Gunn assumes his new responsibilities. Bagley, a 28-year veteran of the company, is currently Executive Vice President of Operations, overseeing the
company's four business units as well as security, safety, and operational support functions.

Additionally, Smith and the board of directors recognized and thanked
Ellen Dorfman, a partner in the executive search firm of Krauthamer
and Associates for its instrumental role in the recruitment and
selection of Gunn as Amtrak President and CEO.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

Here's hoping this will be a very positive development.

Rumor was that when he left NYCTA in 1991, he was hoping to follow Graham Claytor as Amtrak president. That's why he took the WMATA job (WMATA is about one-tenth the size of NYCTA in ridership, a step down for him). Unfortunately for us all, the Amtrak board picked some guy named Downs, who brought along his sidekick Warrington, and the rest, as they say, is history.

David L. Gunn, who headed Washington's Metro system until 1994 when his combative style ran afoul of regional politics, was named president of Amtrak yesterday.

Gunn, whose appointment becomes effective May 15, will replace George Warrington, who left Amtrak after several years of political and financial turmoil to head rail operations at New Jersey Transit.

Gunn comes to Amtrak in the darkest hour of its nearly 31-year history. The passenger train system, which was established as a private corporation but receives public funds, is losing money heavily even though ridership is growing. It has laid off hundreds of workers.

Amtrak is so tight on cash that it cannot repair more than four dozen wreck-damaged rail passenger and mail cars stored in Indianapolis. Although Amtrak was envisioned as a rail passenger system that would span the country, many railroad experts have questioned whether the corporation can continue to run its long-distance routes, which generally lose the most money per train.

Gunn issued a statement saying, "I have always been a proponent of a strong national passenger rail network." A source close to Gunn pointed out that "national" network has become a code word for long-distance trains. He said Gunn had chosen that phrase deliberately to send a clear message that he is not coming to Amtrak to kill long-distance passenger trains in favor of short-corridor operations.

Gunn, 65, has headed several major transit operations. He was president of the New York City Transit Agency and general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority before coming to Washington in 1991, and he was chief general manager of the Toronto Transit Commission until 1999, when he became a transportation consultant.

Gunn also has freight railroad experience. He worked for the New York Central and for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, later becoming an assistant vice president at the Illinois Central Gulf. He then went to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as director of commuter rail and later director of operations.

Gunn, who lives in rural Nova Scotia, said that he took the job because he considered it a challenge and that Amtrak is in a critical time and needs help. "Railroading has been my life," Gunn said in a short interview. "If I can do something to turn the momentum around, then I should. There's not much time."

He is taking over the job at a time when the Bush administration is struggling to come up with a policy for Amtrak's future. Congress is unlikely to make any substantive changes to Amtrak's structure this year but probably will not be able to avoid substantive action next year. Meanwhile, congressional appropriators are struggling to locate enough money this year to keep Amtrak from collapsing before then.

Gunn turned down the Amtrak job once before. According to friends, he was wooed heavily by Amtrak after he left the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, but he steadfastly refused.

Gunn had a stormy passage at WMATA. He came to Metro saying "I don't do politics," and he proceeded to prove it. He acknowledged at the time, "If I have a weakness, I'm probably more goal-oriented than a consensus builder."

After less than two years, he accused the Metro board of breaking its promises to let him hire and fire his staff. He effectively announced his plans to leave when his contract expired in a Washington Post interview, rather than telling the board first.

"He's as smart as anybody I know," a friend of Gunn's said. "He's as savvy as anybody I know. This doesn't make sense. Someone must have promised him something."

Amtrak Board Chairman John Robert Smith, mayor of Meridian, Miss., issued a statement saying that Gunn brings an "exceptional experience and leadership skills" to Amtrak.

Organized rail labor offered limited congratulations to Gunn. Byron A. Boyd Jr., president of the United Transportation Union, said Gunn has a reputation of poor relationships with labor unions, but, "We will start with a clean slate and not permit our thinking to be prejudiced by his reputation."

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

quote:

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Originally posted by DenWoz:
Wonder whether or not David Gunn is open to innovations to high speed trains for Amtrak. It's what we need in today's world.

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The only clue we have is a quote from the New York Times:

Let's get this thing back on its feet, let's get what we can out of the plant, the equipment and employees, let's see what we can do," he said.

Mr. Gunn said he did not expect to spend much time on magnetic levitation trains or other radical technologies.

"If you have a serious problem, the worst thing you can do is avoid dealing with it by engaging in flights of fancy," he said. "How long would it take you to build a maglev? What are you going to do in between?"

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy