Statement on Amtrak Naming William Flynn as New CEO

For Immediate Release (20-5)

Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail, Rail Passengers Association (202-408-8362; [email protected])

Amtrak named William Flynn as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding current CEO Richard Anderson. Flynn most recently headed Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., and has held senior roles with CSX Transportation and other transportation companies.

Flynn will assume his Amtrak duties on April 15, 2020, with Anderson staying on as a senior advisor to Flynn through the end of the year much as former Norfolk Southern chief Wick Moorman eased Anderson's transition to Amtrak before him.

Amtrak is entering an important period for the company and for American passenger rail. Several mission-critical projects are waiting to begin construction, and Congress right now is in the process of drafting the next surface transportation reauthorization -- the transportation blueprint for the country for the next five years.

"Amtrak has just relesed an exciting budget request to Congress that outlines a vision for growth across its network, and we pledge to work with Mr. Flynn to ensure that Congress provides the funds Amtrak needs to provide modern, efficient passenger train service to all Americans," said Jim Mathews, President & CEO of Rail Passengers. "Over our association’s 50-plus years we’ve enjoyed productive relationships with Amtrak’s leadership, and we look forward to continuing that tradition with Mr. Flynn."

Mathews also invited Flynn to take full advantage of Amtrak’s National Network to see the incredible diversity in the backgrounds of his customers, and to get a close-up look at the unique challenges and opportunities in the more than 500 communities the railroad serves.

Rail Passengers provided an overview of the highlights from Amtrak’s FY2021 budget request, including funding for the Hudson River Tunnel project, new equipment for the National Network, a program for launching new state-supported services, and protections for Amtrak passengers suffering from freight-caused delays.

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About the Rail Passengers Association

The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization speaking 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.