Amtrak has made great improvements in recent years, and the railroad could be the answer to the nation?s transportation problems, provided it receives adequate support from the U.S. Department of Transportation. That was the message when Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer David L. Gunn delivered the first annual George Krambles Distinguished Lecture February 10 at the Beckman Institute. About 100 students, faculty, alumni, media representatives and others attended Gunn?s hour-long talk, in which he gave a detailed account of Amtrak?s progress since Gunn came out of retirement to run the ailing passenger railroad in May 2002.

One of the leading figures in the railroad industry, Gunn has more than 40 years? experience in railroading. His executive positions in the rail industry have included serving as the Chief General Manager of the Toronto Transit Commission; General Manager for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; President of the New York City Transit Authority; and General Manager/Chief Operations Officer at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

Gunn has ?built a career on turning around railroads,? said Associate Professor Chris Barkan, director of UIUC?s railroad engineering program, in an introduction to Gunn?s talk.

?His arrival at Amtrak was hailed by all who were knowledgeable about such things as exactly the tonic that Amtrak needed,? Barkan said. ?Although Amtrak is not yet out of the woods, it is most decidedly on the right track and picking up speed thanks to Mr. Gunn?s efforts.?

Gunn presented a detailed description of Amtrak?s turnaround, which included an administrative reorganization, a reduction in costs, the scrapping of unnecessary equipment, and a renewed focus on maintenance that was deferred for years for lack of money. Referring to a frequent criticism of Amtrak by policy-makers, Gunn made the case that the railroad is on the way to recovery and?with adequate funding and a coherent national transportation policy?could be the best answer to the nation?s transportation crisis.

?For a railroad that supposedly is ?a model that is broken? ? we?re doing pretty good,? he said. ?When you look at what?s happened here, by any objective measure?if you look at the finances or you look at the physical results?Amtrak has made a heck of a lot of progress. And I can stand up here and tell you about it, but it?s because you have a whole bunch of good, solid railroad people that if you give them half a chance, and give them good organization, and supply them with material, and don?t keep changing your mind, they can get the job done. There?s nothing wrong with the Amtrak model.?

Gunn?s talk came just days after President Bush announced his budget for next year, in which he recommended eliminating federal funding for Amtrak. Because of the railroad?s need for maintenance, Gunn said, it will require a significant appropriation of around $1.5 billion.

?They have a mantra, which is: ?The model is broken. Until there is reform, we won?t give money.? ? I don?t care what reforms they implement. They can implement any reforms they want, but the track, the wire, the signals, the bridges, and the cars and locomotives are going to need the kind of TLC that we?re talking about giving them.?

The nation as a whole is heading for a transportation crisis, Gunn said, which can be prevented only if the U.S. Department of Transportation develops a coherent transportation policy.

?We really can no longer avoid as a country making some decisions about what we want for a transportation system,? Gunn said. ?I firmly believe this country ? has avoided making any kind of a transportation policy at the national level which makes decisions as to how you want to spend public funds, assuming limited resources. It has not done that. I think we?re reaching the point where we cannot give every mode all the money it needs to continue in its own little stovepipe. You?re going to have to decide, if you want passengers between New York and Philadelphia, Philadelphia and Washington, Washington and New York, do you want to chew up scarce airport capacity? Or do you want to get them on trains? And the cheapest way to solve the problem is by train?it?s that simple.?

Ridership has increased at Amtrak, and each day about 65,000 passengers travel on 265 trains over the 22,000-mile system, which covers more than 500 stations in 46 states.

Gunn?s presentation was the inaugural lecture in the George Krambles Distinguished Lecture Series, which is supported by an endowment from the George Krambles Transportation Scholarship Fund. George Krambles (1915-1999) was a 1936 alumnus of the University of Illinois who dedicated his career to the advancement of urban transportation engineering. Known as an enthusiastic supporter of rail transit and railroad engineering education, he spent a 43-year career at the Chicago Transit Authority, retiring as executive director in 1980.

Gunn said delivering the inaugural lecture was a personal honor for him, because he knew George Krambles and sought his advice on numerous occasions.

?He was incredibly enthusiastic,? Gunn said. ?He believed passionately in the potential of rail passenger service. ? He was a real advocate for our industry, and he?s missed by the people who knew him.?

Gunn?s visit to UIUC also included several opportunities for him to meet with students, including an hour devoted to student presentations on rail research topics, a luncheon, and a reception following the lecture. His day also included meetings with Chancellor Richard Herman; Bruce Vojak, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering; and CEE Head Robert H. Dodds, Jr. Amtrak?s Vice President for Government Affairs, Joe McHugh, and Director of Media Relations Cliff Black, accompanied Gunn to campus.