Could This Londoner Transform American Passenger Rail? | Andy Byford is Back

[@crowbahr]

As a NY-er I'm thrilled to hear that Byford is back in the USA. What he did for the mta was nothing short of miraculous.

[@stekra3159]

Like what did change?

[@cco53587]

​​@@stekra3159 The pace of critical maintenance increased, on-time rates went up on the subway, OMNY was implemented, and plans for bus network redesigns and signal modernization were started to name a few things. He only left because Gov. Cuomo has always been a corrupt goon who only gets re-elected for knowing the right people.

[@RMTransit]

Yep! We can only hope for more leaders like him!

[@PendulumCancel]

I hope he comes back to the MTA now that Cuomo is gone. That guy was a real pain in Byford, de Blasio and the MTA's sides.

[@mohammedsarker5756]

@@stekra3159 the subway's on-time performance went from ~56% to ~80%, he rolled out new SBS bus routes and is probably the only reason we even managed to get through Phase One of the Second Ave Subway

[@TransportVlog]

Back in 2000 when I worked for what was then London Underground, I used to occasionally meet Andy Byford. Besides being an underground manager, he owned a sports bar called "Extra Time" that was very close to Barbican Station. I used to DJ there and Andy would occasionally drop in for a drink. Extra Time has now sadly become a Pret A Manger sandwich shop, It's wonderful that Andy is joining Amktrak, especially after his success in delivering the Elizabeth Line. And Reece, it looks like you'll be having something to celebrate this month too!

[@RMTransit]

Haha, Andy Byfords old sports bar becoming a Pret is maybe the most London thing conceivable.

[@ballyhigh11]

@@RMTransit So true! Prêt is the Borg and they WILL assimilate every independent f&b small business in London.

[@nevreiha]

curses upon pret a manger

[@mdhazeldine]

I had no idea he had such a reputation. I only know him from the Crossrail project and other recent TFL projects. It'll be a shame to lose someone like that in the UK, but lets be honest, the US needs his expertise wayyyyy more than we do at this point. I hope he is allowed to make the changes he wants to and isn't blocked by the US government, freight companies and NIMBYs.

[@RMTransit]

He’s got a fantastic one, you guys are losing a real gem!

[@highway2heaven91]

Especially hope he isn’t blocked by NIMBYs.

[@Paul_Hanson]

All the US needs with regard to passenger rail service is for the government to stop subsidizing it so it can die a natural death.

[@DavidShepheard]

There are plenty of cities, north of London, and west of London, where Andy Byford could have been sent to set up a locally owned transit authority that did the same thing as TfL or Merseytravel. Electrification came into use in the late 1800s and we have two centuries of catching up to do with investment across the UK. But, if we are going to have an anti-investment government, in the UK, it's better to have Andy Byford in a location, where he will actually be given the budget to improve things. The USA can put people on the moon, so when they actually decide to go all in, with high speed rail, I think they will actually catch up with Europe and do some real good, in the global fight against climate change.

[@GintaPPE1000]

The US government and NIMBYs only hamstring Amtrak’s growth, and the freight railroads can only cause delays if the schedules aren’t padded appropriately. Amtrak’s poor service quality is entirely their doing - as evidenced by how much better they were doing before COVID.

[@apexhunter935]

LONG LIVE TRAIN DADDY! May we all aspire to be like him someday

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely 😂

[@STOP_red_light]

If more people that come into the transport industry think like Byford, then maybe we can get the transit we all desperately need and deserve.

[@DavidSmith-qf4zj]

As someone from NYC I was saddened when Andy was driven out. Even in the short time he was here, he managed to accomplish a lot. That includes earning the respect of all New Yorkers, no small feat. I’m glad to hear he is coming back to America. Hopefully he will also get the respect and help needed to make Amtrak a better system.

[@moviefiend44]

I think that was one of Governor Andy Cuomo's biggest blunders, of many that he made. The man had too big of an ego to recognize that Byford's success would be his success by extension. As soon as he felt that Byford was getting more press than him, he didn't stop until he practically shoved Byford out of the MTA. Byford did more for the New York subway in two years than Cuomo did in his 10 years as governor. It should have been Cuomo that was thrown out of his job, not Byford.

[@DarrienGlasser]

Me normally: there are no good CEOs Me today: one good CEO

[@symy92]

If Andy is the Train Daddy then you are his son. You have a lot of knowledge and could help us in the USA with a thing or two.

[@XBKLYN]

Andy brought much needed common sense to NYC Transit which is normally in very short supply in all NYC agencies. It wasn't rocket science or any other extraordinary skill that he brought to the table here. It was a matter of asking the right questions to get the root of very basic problems like why do the trains run so slow, why are the stations so dirty, why do cars stay in the repair shops so long, etc etc. He was run out of town by an awful governor who used the MTA for political football games with an equally awful NYC mayor. The new problem that Andy will face is the fact that Amtrak is at the mercy of the US Congress so if he thinks his political problems were ancient history with the NY job, he's got another thing coming. Good luck Andy and I sincerely wish you the best!

[@yuriydee]

Byrford would deserve a monument dedicated to him in NY Penn Station if he can get us HSR on the NEC.

[@IIAOPSW]

The plaque just says "train daddy", no further explanation. Future historians flummoxed

[@TaylerSpliff]

I remember when Andy Byford became a mainstay of Toronto transit discourse. It was wonderful. Miss you Train Daddy.

[@graffmixer]

Glad Train Daddy back in the USA. I actually moved to NY the same time he because President on the MTA. He was really getting things done.

[@geisaune793]

I'd never heard of him before so I'm really glad you talked about him! I desperately want more passenger rail in the US and much less car-dependency. Personally, the goal I would set is for towns and cities to be built in such a way so that's it's possible for the everyday person to go about their everyday life without owning a car. Cars really are outrageously expensive when you factor in depreciation, insurance, maintenance, gas, etc. and I've come to believe that it's an injustice that you're basically required to own one just so you can live your life. Especially for low-income people. I bet you could lift a significant percentage of Americans out of poverty if all you did was eliminate car-dependency and changed nothing else about the US.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

I agree. It’s like you are a slave to your car always dependent on making car payments, insurance payments etc.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

This is interesting. We've got Randy Clarke at WMATA in Washington D.C., and so far, he really seems like a good one. He actually rides the train, has been open about problems and successes, and seems to be pushing things in the right way. There's a lot to overcome, but for the first time in quite a while, I'm a bit hopeful.

[@RMTransit]

He seems pretty good yeah!

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

He certainly has worked in some large transit networks so has the exp, seems committed to public transport - yes the USA does still have such people - and is young + enthuiastic for the role. Its early days but agree looks pretty good

[@remicardona_poly]

As a former DC-area resident following Metro drama from afar, I feel like Paul Wiedefeld was heavily criticized for making tough and unpopular decisions like SafeTrack. I feel like he was the first manager actually trying to fix things to the core and not putting bandaids on the system to make the board happy. I hope Clarke follows through, I have yet to hear much of anything (positive or negative) about him.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

@@remicardona_poly, the thing with Wiedefeld is that he came in like a wrecking ball, shook things up, and seemed like he was going to really wrangle the system back into some kind of shape. ...Then, after an initial surge, he just sort of petered out and hung around for several years, seemingly twiddling his thumbs and letting all his progress languish. If his last four years had been anything like his first two, I think he'd be remembered more fondly. Yes, SafeTrack was a pain, but it seemed to accomplish something...at first. Wiedefeld had the problem a lot of folks who make decisions about Metro have. I don't think he ever stepped foot inside a station, a train, or a bus unless it was for a photo-op. He certainly didn't use the system regularly, or even talk to normal people who actually used the system. He just passed dictates from his office. And complained about low ridership, while pushing policies that drove people away. Why Randy Clarke makes me more hopeful is that he actually likes and uses public transit. He is out there riding the lines, talking to actual riders, etc. I think he spent more time on a Metro train in his first week than Wiedefeld did in six years. And when there's been a problem, he's addressed it directly instead of waiting weeks to quietly drop a half-hearted press release that tries desperately to pass the blame, usually to the riders. We'll see if Clarke can get things done, but so far, he seems like he actually means to.

[@runalapatel]

Randy is great!

[@runningriot9814]

I worked at the TTC for a time and got to meet Andy. He is a gracious in person as he is in public, solid dude, all the best to him at Amtrak!

[@hintmations]

I really love how RMTransit always makes transit explainer and transit news videos fun and exciting

[@RMTransit]

I love that you love it!

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

I'm hoping Andy can help Minnesota with our ambitious State Passenger Rail plan, including higher speed rail lines like Northern Lights Express and a comprehensive Intercity rail system, including our plan to connect MSP and Fargo to Winnipeg Canada! His understanding of transit is gonna be crucial to improving this state and the Midwest overall, there's so much potential here for rail lines that should have been done long ago and now finally have a chance to see the light of day. We're closer than ever.

[@rosemarymcbride3419]

crossing my fingers too for better rail service through the upper midwest 🤞🤞🤞

[@winstonsolipsist1741]

Why don't American states build the rail themselves?

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

@@winstonsolipsist1741 the rail lines already exist but are privately owned by the freight rail companies in most cases. There's examples of cities like Madison and Chicago though that have municipally owned rail lines and rail that is owned/built by public transit agencies, but in most cases on a state level the plans are focused around running on existing corridors or rebuilding on former and existing ROW. There's abundant rail infrastructure in the Midwest, as well as abandoned lines or ROWs that are cheap and effective potential passenger rail corridors.

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

@@rosemarymcbride3419 Absolutely agreed! There's a massive upcoming omnibus transportation bill for Minnesota coming up next week that will be looking at funding and/or studying a number of the intercity and passenger rail plans, including Northern Lights Express and overturning the Dan Patch + Rochester ZIP rail study bans! There's also a bill which would fund the greater MN state rail plan that could potentially be included and expand the TCMC train to Fargo-Moorhead, all of these things would be huge for Amtrak expansion and service in the upper Midwest! Aside: I hope Reese tries out the Amtrak Great River/TCMC when it launches this summer.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

@@winstonsolipsist1741 Often wondered about that - as most track is purely for freight, a passenger line would be no competition, so should be no screaming about the State doing commercial harm. There are many disused /abandooned rail lines where the trackbed cant be used for much else, should be cheap and all the cuttings, tunnels - maybe not bridges - could have track relaid cheaper than a totally new line. Also may of the freight lines are single track, but the R.O.W. is wide enough for 2, 3 or 4 actual tracks ( many were laid for multiple tracks, as freight really only Next time you are non a needs infrequent passing loops, much of this track has been ripped up) - why couldnt a dedicated passenger line be built next to existing freight where its needed? Next time you are on a train look at the edge of the trackbed - could there be space for another line? They do this all the time in Japan so its worth looking into. They kinds know a LOT about rail, how to build and how best to operate

[@evans.7501]

Andy Byford is a modern innovator of public transit. And RM Transit made me better at understanding transit too!

[@RMTransit]

Why thank you!

[@RealSergiob466]

If Byford is on Amtrak CEO that would be a HUGE W

[@neolithictransitrevolution427]

It's really great to see higher interest from states in state sponsored routes. The Connect us proposals have some great options for rapid increases in rail usage, like the Front Range Corridor centered on Denver or 3-Cs connecting Ohio, or a hige expansion out of Chicago . Expected to be rapidly profitable, and feeding into cities that have notable local rail.

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely! It’s an epic opportunity!

[@OuijTube]

those smaller corridor routes are going to be absolutely key to giving people railroad service that actually matters. Too bad that Amtrak's long-distance routes (one train a day if you're lucky!) are literally dragging the whole system down. Congress requires that those trains keep running, but literally nobody in Congress ever takes them because they are effectively useless as transportation.

[@neolithictransitrevolution427]

@@OuijTube I wouldn't mind thr long haul is Amtrak got the subsidies for it. But it guts reinvestment for the North east Corridor which is awful

[@gregderise9969]

The California Zephyr zooms through my small town every day stopping a half hour each way, so I see it a lot but I guess we are too small and close to stop at. It would be nice to see it modernized and more European looking.

[@highway2heaven91]

@@OuijTube Has any US Congressman or other elected official ever taken Amtrak long distance? Has any Canadian MP taken VIA Rail? The only instance of any elected official taking public transit that I know of was when Biden took the Amtrak to Delaware from DC when he was a Senator.

[@giths19]

Met Andy at a pub here in Toronto. Really nice guy we talked about the Eglinton LRT project. I still laugh that he made sure to point out that Crosstown is under Metrolinx, as if to insinuate that if he was running that project, it would have opened before he left 😂

[@g1234538]

BYFORD'S BACK!! I was so distraught when he was pushed out of the MTA. But seeing that he made it to bigger and better things, seemingly, by joining with Amtrak, this is exciting!

[@biscuit715]

Nothing I want more in the UK than a state run railway with andy in charge

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

His wife is Canadian, he has already given 30 odd years to UK public transport, I suspect he's not coming back, its only fair he gets to have a rest and she gets to hang out with her family. Plus there are some other people who know their stuff - Simon Right, for example, he seems the kind of guy who gets his head round the detail and can schmooze and butter up the simple minded Tech Zero simpletons who seem to gravitate toward Politics. He came as CEO at a time when :- the previous management team had simply made stuff up and hoped it would somehow cure itself, massive cost overruns which the prev management team had decided to simply not tell anyone, outside of their small group, they insisted that it would be finished on time - wildy optimistic or outrageous flights of fancy ? - and with only minor bugetary increase - the jig was up, they finally had yo admit, no targets had been met, the stations were behind time. etc etc Instead of their estimate of it opening in a year, they were unable to give any approx date, they had no money and needed instant cash injection as they were supposed to have credit lines of 2 Billion still unused, it was gone, spent. So they needed 2 provided there were no other probs It finally needed 3.8/9 BILLION extra. Anyway, Simon - and his team - he brought some really good people with him, as he said early on, "We need to be accurate giving figures, we need to err on the side of caution in predicting the acheivement of milestones..." in short, tell the truth dont clutch at straws, support each other, work together............ took it back to basics, got a ballpark figure for the loss which was correct and stayed pretty much that way, it did take longer to integrate the the signalling, but that was imbedded in the vry first plans and onwards.... so, after some seriously hrd efforts, they got the thing back together. Simon and some of his senior project managers, seem at first glance, and based on how well the finished this, the sort of safe hands we need to run a railway

[@Dexter037S4]

@@Cheeseatingjunglista I think Andy's gonna work in Amtrak until Connects US is Complete, before hitching a ride to Ottawa to work in both VIA and OCT simultaneously.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

@@Dexter037S4 He doesnt have a cape and he doesnt wear his underwear over his pants, but you think hes Superman capable??? I hope so too, but he'll need to avoid the Kryptonite of politics

[@jiiiiimbo]

We need Andy Byford back in Toronto!

[@syrax101]

As some of the people have said about Andy, I also co-sign as a NYer… NY was in shambles before he came. I’m glad he’s involved with Amtrak.

[@stevenroshni1228]

Andy was pushed out by one man who later fell completely out of favor. I'm glad he's back.

[@tracksidenewengland5957]

As a regular Amtrak intercity and Long distance rider this is something I like to hear. It must be said though that Amtrak has a LONG way to go in order to just fix the NEC never mind trying to build new electrified routes. If you've traveled on the NEC recently, you might have noticed a large amount of new bridges being built south of NYC which is genuinely exciting. However, many problems still remain north of New York. The tracks in Connecticut are so bad that I've had cups knocked over. As for long-distance routes, the core of the problem is the fact that freight railroads (Canadian National notwithstanding) refuse to accommodate Amtrak. I'm pretty sure no one at Amtrak can do anything about this but I would love to be proven wrong. I am optimistic about Amtrak's future, I just think it will take decades of good decisions and supportive politicians to get it done.

[@uhohhotdog]

Nationalize freight rail and we’ll be good

[@Distress.]

​@Uhohhotdog Gaming less controversially I wonder if we could build new tracks along side them

[@stekra3159]

By out the fraight rail rodes.

[@ViktorFromDK]

@@Distress. well if the federal government brought out the tracks they would probably end up being better for both cargo and pax rail. Look at western Europe for instance we have state runned railroads which accommodats both cargo and pax on the same tracks without much of the crazy delays that can be seen in the US.

[@JBS319]

From New Haven to the NY/CT line, the tracks are owned and ostensibly maintained by CTDOT. CTDOT has let tracks deteriorate so much that their major NHL infrastructure projects will bring times...back to where they were 20 years ago. Notice how all the improvements have been either from New Rochelle to Washington or New Haven to Boston. That's because Amtrak controls those portions of line.

[@rwdavidoff]

It'd be cool if Byford could essentially bring, not "HSR," but "BSR--Brightline Style Rail--to other corridors Amtrak already operates or is looking to operate. 110 mph running as much as possible, trip-average speeds up above 65 mph and maybe up to 70 to 80 mph, and regular running more like hourly than daily. Seems like it might be doable on the overhauled Michigan or St Louis services, and should be a goal for any new services elsewhere if possible? BSR seems to drive people in Florida who previously never would have considered rail to get excited about using it and drive major demand growth, creating new transit constituencies of choice-riders.

[@gregormonkey]

Great memories of when Byford worked for the TTC (and likewise the public communication when Brad Ross was on that portfolio around the same time), reading about him in Metro on my morning subway commute made me think more about transit in general. If anyone can fix Amtrak, it's Andy!

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

We need this man in Boston yesterday.

[@StefanWithTrains]

A list of I what I want him to do: - Straightening of the Harrisburg-Pittsburg route together with electrification (125mph) - Electrification, straightening and HSR between DC and Charlotte (160-186mph) - making more parts of the NEC 160-186 mph capable outside of the NEC2035 plans. - Talk about HSR on the Empire corridor (125-186mph) together with electrification. - And talk more about electrification on some other routes together with states, and talk about all the benefits.

[@eirinym]

It'd be nice if he adds his wherewithal to Amtrak's plans and gets them on the right track so to speak with goals they want to accomplish. That said, the #1 problem with trains, especially intercity ones in the US, is the Class I freight railroad issue. Management at those companies has shown in the past decades they really don't want to operate safely, let alone effectively. No matter what plans Amtrak has, unless they can get around that issue, it'll always mean whatever they want to do, it won't seriously revolutionise their experience. People are constantly going to talk about how unreliable and slow Amtrak is outside of the NEC if things remain as they are due to those companies. Amtrak needs to buy the routes they run or find some way to split ownership and upgrade those routes so that they can't be sidetracked every time a freight train is running on them.

[@RMTransit]

New Amtrak owned track is likely the solution in many many places!

[@gregessex1851]

Sydney had an influx of officials from the mother company, or more specifically, from TfL. I think you can thank them for some of the improvements including better integration of the different modes and a step change in wayfinding

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

Cool punning style, 3 Gold Stars!!! Hurrah!!!

[@c.j.tonnes7648]

This genuinely lifted my day! Probably the best news I've seen in months.

[@SeaBassTian]

I love the little transit week jig!

[@JesusCriiist]

We need him back in Toronto but he sure moves around alot.

[@WilliamChan]

I still hope for a day when Andy could come back for an Act 2 in Toronto.

[@RMTransit]

One can dream!

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

His Wife is Canadian. he loves the place, he got sacked last time over Politics and Cuomo's need to be the key guy -" It was MY idea, its was mine, was mine, you're fired!! " Now, it looks like another Democrat Biden, a Union guy. over rode the Unions and the Law to make sure Americans can get their "stuff" when they expect it. the safety regs, partially dismantled by Trump, which there seems to be no attempt to reverse it. Then there are dangerous effects of this precision scheduled railroading leadin to trains as long as the Amazon, and I dont mean the the trail of workers desperate for the bathroon that Bezos has nailed to their chairs to prevent them stealing 1.5 millisecs from the impoverished company when they take to much time to leak. (The good news - he's thinking about reducing the prices on his man sized Diapers so you can dump in your pants more easily, thus saving the impoverished cult another sliver of micro time units because having a crap is illegal in a Fulfilmant Center - the full fill is whats gonna happen in yer trews )Any way contempt for this prissy little farts greed aside, I think the deranged scream fest that is US politics will drive him out or again they'll just sack him. Politics, never far from anything in the US, will do for him again...... and you know, he's closer to that Border this time, and I'm sure as Hell he'll be back, certain as the shrill voices of US political discourse wail on, the noise level rises, Canada, the beuatiful beacon of sanity and safety, just over the lake will be an offer he cant refuse.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

@@RMTransit He'll be back, one of the resons Toronto was so appealing is his wife was able to see her parents easily and he seems to really like it. I think the railways in the US are getting political. Perhaps they'll just sack him again, or if the focus of Fox and other News Demetia channels of their Ilk will round on him as he's "Foreign", a lap top being repaired will be examined by some obscure artisan Patriotic repair shop where the Hero will discover Andy's stealing the special Tech used in their unique equipment (Siemens is actually a code name for General Electric dont you know) or perhaps he'll have a Ukranian friend - must be some kinda commie spy to he'll need Tuckering, resulting in 350 Ford F series trucks with 3 or 4 rifle racks each telling him to haul his commie ass outa there. Canada will never seem more beautiful, so welcoming and so utterly sane

[@Dexter037S4]

Ottawa needs him more than Toronto, we're a G20 Capital for crying out loud and we make Washington look good!

[@natenae8635]

@@Dexter037S4 😂😂😂

[@Osizzleicious]

0:13 very much enjoyed the dances

[@RMTransit]

Good to hear!

[@coolwalk3000]

Being Andy back to Toronto! He did wonders for Toronto and New York!!!

[@metrofilmer8894]

It’ll be interesting to see what he chooses to do. This job will have a very different dynamic to all the previous jobs he had. With local transit he could just play around with service, ux and other things to make it better because the agency owned its property, however Amtrak has already been optimizing as much as their situation allows since most of their work has to go into getting the class 1s to let Amtrak run more service

[@michaelvickers4437]

Gotta ask if a big part of intercity ridership growth in Canada has less to do with anything that VIA its purposefully doing, and more to do with the collapse of Greyhound Buses? For many people there are few other options. Maybe Via Is taking advantage of an uptick in demand, but has it really done much to actually improve the quality, reliability or frequency of service? I'd say, not that I've noticed.

[@ctalcantara1700]

Congratulations on 200K!!! Great reason to dance! Awesome video, as always!

[@exerosis5758]

This is so exciting, I hope to the pace of growth accelerate under his leadership.

[@RMTransit]

I think it may!

[@vcalvo]

You've convinced me! I'm now an Andy so superfan. Where can I get a t-shirt?

[@Wefdog85]

Andy wasn't the head of cityrail in Sydney. He was 2nd down the totem pole. Rob Mason was the CEO and they still had to answer the the state government

[@tasneemfatema7346]

The dance in the intro sequence MUST STAY!!!

[@theajax7752]

if Reece is dancing in the intro good things are happening in the transit world

[@mrgooglethegreat]

I hope he brings an HSR line from NYC to Montreal and from NYC thru Scranton Binghamton Syracuse Rochester Buffalo and on to Toronto. These cities already built HSR terminals years ago ....all they need is the track improvements and the trains. Makes the most sense to start there imo.

[@justinmelao3434]

NYC-Albany-Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo-Toronto is a strong route. However, NYC-Scranton-Binghamton-Syracuse isn't a promising line in terms of demand and infrastructure. The existing track geometry of those legacy lines is rather terrible for high-speed rail. Sure, there is the Lackawanna cut-off, but the Morristown line you would use to get there have tight turn radii, and then getting from Stroudsburg to Scranton, the track geometry doesn't get better.

[@RMTransit]

Optimistic but I like that!

[@mrgooglethegreat]

@@justinmelao3434 they can make it happen if they're willing to invest. Albany can be on the Montreal line but leave the Toronto line to Western NY. Ppl in Albany already have all types of proximity and also the I81 path is straight enough to accomplish this goal. Too many cars and ppl from what I've experienced take this path to NYC while driving when coming from Detroit Toronto Buffalo the southern and northern tiers etc. That expressway is busy and packed from way back in Scranton all the way to the Holland tunnel. To say Albany alone is a good replacement for all that other traffic and so many other cities is disingenuous. Albany is smaller than Syracuse Buffalo Scranton and Rochester. Cut Albany off and give them the Montreal line. Save WNYers time and add great loads of passengers inbetween Buffalo and the Poconos and imo this line will be far more successful than even the Montreal one. But id love to see both built ASAP. We can connect Syracuse to Albany later.

[@truedarklander]

​@@justinmelao3434 you should probably be laying HSLs to make new HSR services, or else you're gonna face the British issue

[@mrgooglethegreat]

@@justinmelao3434 consider all the universities tourist sites recreation and businesses you're cutting off by going to Albany..... I'd take a hard pass on that idea to skip Scranton. Plus the president is from there .....easy sell in DC!!!

[@juanmontull8550]

I really hope he can do something, we know how difficult it is to build railways in the US, one man can't do the whole job, if I were him I would call some experts from Spain, Japan, China or France to help me. Good luck from Spain!

[@treebush]

Ahhh Andy when the TTCs busses and trains were actually always on time then he left and everything fell apart

[@mattevans4377]

Once he's done with Amtrak, can he come to the North of England. We could really use his help making change actually happen.

[@tm752]

Andy is the best. Period.

[@RMTransit]

He’s an excellent leader

[@casmatt99]

Amtrak has a lot of leverage to flex if it is represented by competent leadership, and the benefits of improving intercity rail would likely encourage further development of regional rail too. The NEC is just one piece of the puzzle, but it's important to note that Amtrak service begins and ends in Boston, with less than 2 miles separating two ends of the system. A tunnel, or North-South Rail Link, connecting the two main rail stations in Boston would finally unite points north and south. The state is weary of funding and embarking on such a project, but it is integral to the future growth of transit across the northeast. A few billion in federal dollars is badly needed, and this is just the man to do it.

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

Imagine being able to electrify the MBTA and extending the NEC all the way up to Maine or even Southern Canada.

[@sonicboy678]

The Big Dig was _supposed_ to have that, but all the focus was placed on I-93.

[@casmatt99]

@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45 it's literally insane that this is pure fantasy in the richest country in the world. As if we needed further evidence that government has all but abandoned the needs of the working class.

[@mrgooglethegreat]

I always love the dancing.... whenever u dance the video is special 😁

[@RMTransit]

Thank you so much 😀

[@shivabalannagakumaran6019]

Congrats on 200k Reece!

[@ianmcleod48]

It would be amazing if he could somehow get 110-125 mph operations on the existing + proposed long distance national network/state supported networks . I think it’s likely we see the NEC get up to 186 mph as well, and hopefully we see some legit Amtrak high speed plans for other promising corridors around the country as well. I’m feeling optimistic!

[@marionpaulodagang9980]

More intro with good vibe dancing 😆

[@TheMiddlest]

It's very clear how little the LA metro workers actually use the trains in LA. Wish more people worked at our transit agencies who had a passion for great transit.

[@steveyoung780]

Just the kind of leader we need to transform our intercontinental rail service in Canada. Fingers crossed that he'll be available to us, sooner than later.

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely! Would be a dream to have someone of his caliber running things here!

[@unknowntl44]

0:11 i absolutely love the dancing

[@Stanf954]

Andy B was very hands on. We missed having him as a voice for the ridership and employees.

[@matthewstanden-sixtwentycr4226]

Byford did amazing things for Toronto

[@tokyogamer5825]

We took our time with Transit Zzaddy in Toronto for granted!

[@GrandPoivron]

You know what's interesting @RMTransit, I've been thinking about how *caring about the user* is probably the most important trait any public service leader should have. I don't think it's a trait that is *ever* selected for though. In my country, to become a high-level public servant, you need to go through a tough selection process that assesses your ability to learn, organize and convey ideas. Never in that selection process is "care for the user", aka "empathy" ever selected for. It's almost surprising that an empathetic leader would get into a position of power. Caring for users might even be deemed as unprofessional. I'd be curious to get your take on this. What does it take to build a strong public transit leadership ? What traits should the leaders have ?

[@kimberlyx4060]

Thanks. I never knew of this gentleman. I’m hoping, one day.

[@anabragahenebry]

Yay!! I ride Amtraks between Michigan, Chicago, Minnesota, Colorado, Texas and California! Let’s improve things!!

[@slrhas]

Good for Andy. Glad to see him doing well.

[@PatrickBurford1]

The first thing Andy should focus on is right of way enforcement, that is amtrak's single biggest issue. Next is rolling stock, frequency and cleanliness from what I read, which would be made easier with more trains running on time

[@JAMamation]

Watching this at this very moment whilst on a LNWR train to London!

[@gmayo777]

The hardest part is getting the ball rolling. Keeping it going is much easier, he'll help catapult NA into a new age!

[@RMTransit]

I absolutely hope so!

[@jameskerner7782]

You are oh so right, sir!

[@PhilRMcGregor]

Andy Byford did wonders for the TTC. he made some very simple, and obvious changes (obvious changes that eluded his predecessors!) that produced significant improvements for passengers. And when he left Toronto, there an almost immediate backslide.

[@j2174]

What were those “simple and obvious changes”?

[@AussieTrainsVlogs]

He also worked in Sydney for awhile in the late 2000s early 2010s

[@chefpat5838]

Used to run into Andy once in a while grabbing lunch when he was at the TTC. Really nice, very smart dude.

[@JoseTwitterFan]

You know it's REALLY good news when Reece is gettin' down in the intro.

[@Train_Chaser-KeiTruckUrbanist]

LLEETSSS GO TRAINN DADDDDDYYYYYY

[@kevinyoung9706]

Andy made a HUGE difference in Toronto & i miss the ttc's accountability segments on the news.

[@alexhaowenwong6122]

My wish list to Byford: electrify the Southern Lossan Corridor, move the tracks off the Del Mar Bluffs, and build a tunnel to bypass the long Carroll Canyon curve. The Surfliner is Amtrak's busiest line outside the Northeast.

[@blushinglampshade]

Is it worth doing a video on the speed of underground trains? We often talk of high speed when going intercity, but I does the small increment of speeding up short trips allow for higher frequency. Not sure how it would affect fuel consumption.

[@jm2437]

I've missed train daddy!

[@alexjgray100]

I'm sure you've mentioned this before, but where did you get the REM poster?

[@dimitrioszafeiropoulos799]

You know what’s a funny story I met him when he was in Toronto. My father works for the TTC and at the time I was in high school and we had this “take your kid to work day” now the TTC had a program for this event which included showing off the Rocket trains and subway control Centre, as well as having them bring us to Lower bay (where funny enough the T1 train the were going to have us ride back to Bathurst on was inoperable so we got to ride the TR) but it terminated with an address from him about new plans for the TTC and how presto is being expanded to all the TTC services and stations. I still have the bus stop they gave us as a memento.

[@modtwentyeight]

I'm glad he's back. I have high hopes for Amtrak under his tutelage.

[@adambuesser6264]

How about talking about PSR Percission Scheduling Railroading. It is a big issue with railroad companies.

[@RMTransit]

No PSR if Amtrak owns the line 😉

[@RMTransit]

Or more likely actual PSR 🤔

[@wxairy]

I’ve heard that PSR is being cracked down in some states with laws like freight train length limits after the East Palestine derailment(which was caused by a defect detector that failed to detect a hotbox)

[@bobainsworth5057]

I bet the first thing he works on is THE TUNNEL . Hudson river, Am track is involved with that.

[@spaghetti1able1]

I really hope he can finally get the rest of the Empire Corridor electrified, and maybe even up to some real high speed standards. Long live Train Father.

[@obinneji]

I wish he came to Boston! The T is an absolute MESS right now

[@RMTransit]

I think Amtrak makes more sense for him honestly given his trajectory

[@bishop8958]

Among all the chaos on in the world right now, this is the feel good news story I needed.

[@TigerofRobare]

It would be nice if, instead of focusiung too much on one man, we focus more on the fact that it's unusual in American transit that managers (not to mention politicians) use the service. We don't need one Andy Byford, we need more Andy Byfords in every agency and authority across the country.

[@RMTransit]

I think complementing that style of leadership is a good way to encourage it!

[@Cayles764]

Liked for the groovy dance at the beginning.

[@cubinn149]

The world needs more guy like him

[@thomasblyth7539]

we believe in train daddy 🎉🎉🎉

[@codenamef.l.o.w.8276]

Was really hoping for him to come to Chicago, but i think he'll be awesome at Amtrak

[@fernbedek6302]

If Amtrak *does* push him out, maybe Via could scoop him up before he heads back across any oceans…

[@davidbrowne3761]

His wife is from Toronto and he headed up TTC for 5 years So it's possible

[@glyphics1943]

@@davidbrowne3761 - Please don’t wish us I’ll. As a New Yorker now living in New Jersey, I am glad to see Byford back. AMTRAK can only get better under his influence. With new administration in NY, state and city, maybe they will see the errors of their ways and bring him back if AMTRAK fumbles the ball. Sorry, Canada, we need him more than you do. Really!

[@RMTransit]

I’m going to hope for Amtrak for now!

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

@@glyphics1943 Boston arguably needs him so much more than NY.

[@Dexter037S4]

@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45 You are getting Renee Amilcar, I'm praying for you guys, big time. The Network's boutta be cut significantly, say goodbye to the PCCs and the CapeFlyer to start.

[@ASQ1Fan]

The dance is back. Nice.

[@mattylite7]

From all of his adhoc interviews he seems like a great leader not just a compentent transit manager. Hes very concerned about improving organization culture

[@keiththoma2559]

His main focus should be on solving the CT bottleneck on NE Corridor. Getting the Boston to NYC time down would have a huge impact for Amtrak as it not only grabs bigger NYC-BOS market share but opens up New England market share to NJ and Philly.

[@Kiera_Jackson74]

Loving the Florida bright line... The Edmonton Calgary corridor let's wish

[@maas1208]

Chicago desperately needs him Put him in charge for the RTA in Chicago (CTA, Metra, and Pace)

[@waynecopple385]

I certainly wish him well. The management people brought to Amtrak by the departed ( but not soon enough ) Richardson Anderson, formerly of Delta Airlines seem to be largely clueless about running a railroad. Anderson tried to turn Amtrak into an airline, minus the speed and frequency. The operation desperately needs input from a knowledgeable train guy.

[@brandonhamilton8871]

Hey can you do a video of how alternative transportation can help develop (Jamaica). Please