Amtrak chief who fought break-up fired

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2005 | by John Bacon

David Gunn, the president of financially beleaguered Amtrak, was fired Wednesday after a three-year tenure marked by clashes with the Bush administration over the direction of passenger rail service. Amtrak's board of directors said different leadership is needed to help stem annual losses of more than $1 billion to the federally subsidized rail line.

David Laney, the railroad's chairman, said board members concluded that Gunn wasn't committed to changes approved by the board and endorsed by Gunn last spring that would require more financial help from states and could open some parts of the Amtrak network to private competition. Gunn said the plan was a "good document" but that the four-member board, all appointed by President Bush, is doing the work of the administration,...