Amtrak announced Monday a seasoned transportation executive will take the helm of the railroad system in April.
William J. Flynn, a successful leader in the rail, maritime and aviation industries, will succeed current President and CEO Richard Anderson on April 15, 2020. Anderson has led Amtrak since 2017 and will stay on through the end of the year as Flynn’s senior advisor.
“Amtrak’s future is incredibly bright and I’m excited to join the team,” Flynn said. “Amtrak service is vital to millions of Americans across the nation and by improving the customer experience, driving safety, and strengthening our partnership with states and other stakeholders, we can do much more for the American people.”
Flynn has previously served in various capacities, including President and CEO, and Board Chairman, at Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., which supports the global air freight, military charter and passenger charter markets. Other work includes senior positions with CSX Transportation, Sea-Land Services, Inc., and GeoLogistics Corp.
“Bill is the right executive to lead us into the future,” said Amtrak Board Chairman Tony Coscia. “We’ve never been stronger as a company than we are today. We are modernizing the customer experience and delivering our service to more people. Bill has a consistent track record of growing and improving complex transportation businesses. We are confident he will build upon the strong foundation of record-setting growth and improvement set by the Board, Richard, and the entire Amtrak team.”
Last year, Amtrak had its highest ridership, revenue, and earnings ever, setting itself on track to breakeven for the first time in the company’s nearly 50-year history.
Started in 1971, Amtrak was created by the Congressional Rail Passenger Service Act, which consolidated America’s various passenger railroads into one organization. At its inception, the company served 43 states with a total of 21 routes. Today, the company handles interstate passenger rail service in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian Provinces with more than 500 destinations across 33 routes over 21,000 miles of track. The company also handles high-speed train routes between Washington, D.C., and Boston.