Joseph Boardman, former Federal Railroad Administrator, will lead Amtrak for the next year.
The appointment was hailed widely in railroad circles because of Boardman's familiarity with Amtrak issues and leadership style. Boardman, 59, succeeds CEO Alex Kummant, who resigned in mid-November.
Boardman served as FRA Administrator since 2005 and served as the Department of Transportation's representative on Amtrak's board of directors. He has more than 30 years of experience in the surface transportation industry in county, state and federal government levels.
Boardman will serve as president and CEO and guide a passenger line that has posted six consecutive years of ridership and revenue growth. Earlier this fall, a law was passed to give Amtrak $13 billion in subsidies over five years. In addition, there could be more passenger rail funding included in the federal stimulus package that is being pushed by the incoming Obama Administration.