Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner is stepping down from his position, effective immediately. In a statement released March 19, Gardner said he wanted to ensure the current administration would preserve its “confidence” in the rail company.
“I am stepping down as CEO to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration,” Gardner said in the statement. “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 was appointed as CEO Jan. 17, 2022, by the Amtrak Board of Directors. During his time as CEO, Gardner oversaw several major initiatives, including infrastructure improvements on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the introduction of new trainsets and the station improvement program. Several high-profile projects include the Portal North Bridge, the Sawtooth Bridges replacement, New York Penn Station renovation, as well as service expansions such as the Borealis route and the Floridian route.
“We did a lot together to make Amtrak safer, more modern and a better travel experience for all our customers,” Gardner said.
Prior to his role as CEO, Gardner served as president of Amtrak from December 2020 until his appointment in 2022. Prior to that, he was the senior executive vice president and chief operating and commercial officer from May 2019 through November 2020. He held varying executive positions throughout the company starting in 2009.
“From my start as an Amtrak intern back in the 1990s to ending as CEO, it has been my honor and privilege to lead this great American company, and I wish Amtrak every success. See you on the rails,” Gardner said.
Gardner’s departure comes as Amtrak achieved an all-time ridership record of 32.8 million during fiscal year 2024. However, it follows the U.S. Department of Transportation’s memo directing the Federal Transit Administration to review projects without fully obligated grant agreements or cooperative agreements in place to ensure they comply with the Trump Administration’s policies. It also follows recent calls from Senior Advisor to the President Elon Musk to privatize the company. Amid this uncertainty, early reports suggest Gardner relinquished his position following pressure from the White House and to maintain a good relationship between Amtrak and the administration.
Amtrak’s board released the following statement on Gardner’s departure:
“As Stephen departs today, 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 [Donald] Trump and [Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves.”
It’s unclear who will take on the CEO position in the interim. When asked for information about the leadership transition, Amtrak declined to comment beyond the released statements.
Megan Perrero | Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
