Amtrak’s Bill Flynn And Stephen Gardner

Recently installed Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Commercial Officer Stephen Gardner discuss the company’s role as a provider of national passenger rail service with Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. What is their long-term vision for Amtrak? What role do they see intercity passenger rail playing in the national transportation network? What is Amtrak’s plan for long-distance trains? For short- to medium distance corridor services? Is Amtrak truly bound by politics, as is widely perceived? What is the solution to the problem of having to request funding from Congress every year? Is it fair to characterize Amtrak, as some critics have said, as a “monopoly”? Flynn and Gardner talk candidly about these and other issues as Amtrak approaches its 50th year.