Report: White House forced Amtrak CEO Gardner to resign

Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned yesterday as the national intercity passenger railroad's CEO. 

"I'm stepping down as CEO to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration. I am so proud of what the Amtrak team has accomplished to bring passenger rail service to more people and places across the country over these past 16 years, and I thank the board for their trust and support," Gardner said in a prepared statement posted on Amtrak's website. Amtrak declined to comment further on his resignation.

The news service Reuters reported that the Trump administration forced Gardner to step down. Gardner's departure occurs a few weeks after billionaire and tech mogul Elon Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), told attendees at a Morgan Stanley technology conference that Amtrak should be privatized.

Also, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Gardner in a letter to send him a crime prevention plan to secure Union Station in Washington, D.C. Last month, Amtrak reached an agreement to pay real estate firm Rexmark $505 million for control of Washington Union Station, ending a long legal dispute and allowing Amtrak to move forward with planned renovations of the facility.

Asked for a comment on Gardner's departure, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued this statement on Duffy's behalf: “It’s time for Amtrak leadership to clean up Union Station. It’s time to rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime. Commuters and travelers need to feel safe in our Capital.”

Earlier this week, Duffy ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to clean up crime and conditions of New York City's subway system or risk losing federal funding.

"If New York City can’t get its act together, we’re going to cut funding. It’s that simple," Duffy posted on X yesterday. "MTA has until the end of the month to show me what they are doing to reduce crime, lower homelessness, and improve safety. No commuter should have to worry about becoming another crime stat just getting around their city." 

Amtrak is a government-owned organization that relies on federal subsidies, ticket revenue and agreements with states to fund its operations. Federal grants help cover the cost of infrastructure and fleet upgrades.

In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed the five-year Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included about $22 billion in direct appropriations for Amtrak to spend on capital, including new modern trains and upgraded stations and infrastructure. Many of those projects are underway. During his first term in the White House, President Trump repeatedly called for federal funding cuts to Amtrak. 

Gardner's carefully worded statement yesterday did not list a specific reason for his resignation. Amtrak's board issued a statement, but did not explain the reason for Gardner's departure. The board's statement reads as follows: "As Stephen departs, we thank him for his 16 years of service to Amtrak. We will build on his accomplishments and wish him every success. We look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary [Sean] Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves."

Rail Passengers Association President and CEO Jim Mathews said that under Gardner's leadership Amtrak recommitted to a national passenger-rail network, while making concrete investments to improve service.

“In every interaction I’ve had with Stephen – and there were many – there was never any doubt that he loved trains, loved passenger rail and loved Amtrak. He has been a good colleague and a great partner to this Association," Mathews said in a prepared statement. "We wish him every success, and look forward to continuing to work with President Roger Harris as Amtrak continues to grow and modernize.”