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Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer George Warrington March 7 announced plans to resign his post and return to his New Jersey roots as NJ Transit executive director as soon as an interim successor can be found. The board already has begun a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.



Warrington succeeds Jeffrey Warsh, who resigned. New Jersey's new governor, James McGreevey, and James Fox, who serves as N.J. Department of Transportation's commissioner and NJ Transit's chairman, believed it was time for a chnage in leadership at the agency, according to Jim Berzok, NJDOT spokesman.



Warrington served NJ Transit as vice president and general manager of rail operations from 1988 to 1990, then moved on to deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation from 1990 to 1992. From 1992 to 1994, he served as executive director and president of Delaware River Port Authority and Port Authority Transit Corp., then to Amtrak as Northeast Corridor president, acting president, and, finally, in 1998, his most recent post.



"As president of Amtrak, I have been privileged to work alongside some of the hardest-working, most-dedicated employees," said Warrington in a prepared statement. "The men and women of Amtrak have helped to transform this company through innovation and demonstrated resilience even in the most difficult times, such as their outstanding response to the events of Sept. 11."



In sharing the news with Amtrak employees, the railroad’s new chairman, Meridian, Miss., Mayor John Robert Smith credited Warrington with building "a leaner, stronger and more-efficient company focused on the business fundamentals, which will remain after his departure."



Smith assured employees the board would remain committed to vigorously pursuing "adequate" federal support in fiscal-year 2003 to preserve the national network, and appoint an interim successor in the near term.



In his own message to employees, Warrington assured personnel that his decision was a personal one and not about Amtrak.



"I may be changing trains, but I have great confidence in the team driving Amtrak," he said. "But, frankly, there’s still a lot to more to be accomplished at Amtrak."



— Kathi Kube