Harris M. Cohen, MBA
Lead Operations Analyst, Amtrak
- Alma Mater: University of Maryland, College Park
- Favorite Book: "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand
- Favorite TV Show: "Hell on Wheels"
- Favorite Movie: "Groundhog Day"
- Favorite Hobbies: Travel, outdoor activities, rafting, kayaking and biking
Growing up in Highland Park, Illinois, Harris Cohen was exposed to the deep railroad roots in the Chicago area and the connections it had to his family. Eventually an internship in college at Amtrak turned into a full-time job and a career he enjoys in passenger railroad.
Cohen s lead operations analyst for Amtrak, where he works to improve equipment and efficiencies to improve rider experiences and overall operations.
Cohen was co-leader in developing Amtrak’s Priority Vehicle Offloading program for the Auto Train. By allowing passengers to have their vehicles offloaded first by paying a fee, it improved customer service and improved financial results for Amtrak.
Cohen also implemented amenity upgrades to the Auto Train, such as Satellite radio, new LED flat screens, improved audio and Wi-Fi, which also helped increase ridership growth and customer satisfaction.
Cohen was one of the central leaders in Amtrak’s PRIIA 210 process, where he lead multiple cross functional teams at the route level and wrote more of the annual reports delivered to Congress.
He also led the relaunch efforts of the Coast Starlight, which modernized Pacific Parlour Cars to include a movie theater, on-board amenities and service plans. The initiative gave Amtrak a more than 20 percent positive return on investment and sustained customer satisfaction gains of 15 percent.
Cohen also led the effort to install at-seat electrical outlets on all Superliner equipment.
He also developed and implemented Amtrak’s “Customer Service Tip of the Day,” which goes out to all system employees.
Cohen developed a business case to restore through coach and sleeping car service to Boston on the Lakeshore Limited Line. The change resulted in more than $1 million in estimated yearly revenues and a 90 percent profit margin.
In the past year, Cohen helped rebuild a relationship between Amtrak and Greyhound, which led to the company opening a ticket counter at Union Station in Chicago. Riders can now book bus and train reservations at the same time and therefore expand the reach of Amtrak.
“I think what I enjoy most is really the opportunity to use creativity to solve problems. In my current role in operations, I do spend a lot of time developing creative scenarios to improve equipment efficiencies and, in turn, connectivity for a better optimized service to meet our customers’ wants and needs and desires.”
“I think that transit’s really freeing. I think a lot of people have this perception that when you abandon a vehicle, you’re really constrained to the schedules and frequencies of the mass transit system you’re riding, but I really see it as freeing…because you’re avoiding traffic congestion.”
“Really, I don’t like standing still. I’ve always enjoyed moving.”
