Stephen Gardner, CEO of Amtrak, announced his immediate resignation on 19th March 2025, apparently under pressure from the Trump administration. Gardner, who has been with Amtrak since 2009 and president since 2021, previously worked in the railway industry and in the US Senate. His resignation follows Elon Musk's proposal to privatise Amtrak. Amtrak countered with a white paper and referred to record results in fiscal year 2024, in particular a 123% cost recovery on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) line. The company refers to the recent re-nationalisation of rail services in the UK, and emphasises that privatisation is not a solution because private operators would also face the same constraints, in particular the obligation to maintain loss-making long-distance connections.
