Amtrak fires president after damning Congress report

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2005

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The board of US rail operator Amtrak fired its president, David Gunn, after a stinging official report urged sweeping reforms of its troubled operations.

"Amtrak's future now requires a different type of leader who will aggressively tackle the company's financial, management and operational challenges," Amtrak chairman David Laney said in a statement.

He noted that the board approved in April a plan to change strategically how the state passenger rail company conducts its operations.

"Now we need a leader with vision and experience to get the job done," Laney said.

Gunn came out of retirement in May 2002 to lead Amtrak after a career that included running transit systems in New York and Washington.

His dismissal comes after...