Amtrak is seeking public input on a major reorganization that would see the company split into three distinct organizations focusing on passenger service, infrastructure management and fleet management. If the board decides to proceed, the reorganization would be the biggest change to the company since Congress created it in 1971.

Amtrak officials said the changes were being “designed to bring greater visibility into performance and costs, enable faster and better-informed decisions, and align authority with responsibility and results, creating a more accountable, focused, and agile company built to carry more passengers, support more service, and deliver stronger financial performance.”

“Our management team developed this preliminary framework after extensive study and continues to seek input to be sure we get it right,” said Interim President Byl Herrmann. “Our goal is a more accountable, effective, and resilient Amtrak, one that delivers more riders, more revenue, and the best customer service in the transportation industry.”

In a separate press release, the Rail Passengers Association cautioned Amtrak’s board of directors against making rushed decisions or ones that would harm the traveling public. Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews also said that organizational reform was not a substitute for adequately funding the railroad.

“While it is too early to draw any definite conclusions, the Key Performance Indicators Amtrak decides to focus on may prove more important than the organizational chart itself,” said Mathews. “The right metrics reinforce Amtrak’s public-service mission. The wrong ones could unintentionally push the company toward priorities Congress never intended.”

—Justin Franz