Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gardner announced his resignation Wednesday, saying he wanted to avoid a clash with the Trump administration.
“I am stepping down as CEO to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration,” said in a statement Wednesday. “We did a lot together to make Amtrak safer, more modern, and a better travel experience for all our customers.”
Gardner leaves as the national passenger rail company is in the midst of its biggest expansion since it was created. Ridership reached a new record, 32.8 million passengers in fiscal 2024.
But he’s also been dogged by criticism from Congressional Republicans, and the Trump administration has tried to promote fossil fuel use and cut back on public transportation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered an investigation into a state-run passenger rail system in California and transit systems in Washington and New York.
