YPT-International: The Story of How Amtrak, Commuter Railroads, and Freight Railroads Came To Be

The development and evolution of rail in the United States has followed a fascinating journey, from it's inception as private entities providing freight, intercity passenger, and commuter rail services - to the current landscape of separate freight railroads, Amtrak, and regional and state-operated commuter rail authorities. Join us for a virtual brown bag lunch event to hear from rail expert and Amtrak leader, Richard Slattery, and engage in an informal conversation about the evolution of rail ownership and responsibility and why it's important to know the histories of such a vital part of the transportation ecosystem of this country.

Our guest, Rich Slattery, will be joining us to share his rail expertise. Rich  is Senior Research Director in Amtrak’s Government Affairs and Corporate Communications Department (GACC). His responsibilities include drafting Congressional testimony, legislative proposals, policy statements and reports; assisting other GACC members in responding to Congressional and media inquiries; and supporting GACC and other Amtrak departments in matters involving the host railroads over which Amtrak operates, laws governing Amtrak and Amtrak history. ​Rich first became involved in public transportation issues in 1974 as a high school intern for a New York City congressman. After graduating from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Political Science, he began his railroad career in 1980 as a reservation sales agent with the Auto Train Corporation, then a privately-operated passenger rail service. Rich subsequently earned a J.D. from the University of Virginia, while completing all of the requirements for a Master’s in Public Administration other than the final draft of his thesis (which was on Amtrak). He then spent six years as an associate in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, where he represented Amtrak and freight railroads in litigation before what is now the Surface Transportation Board and in judicial and arbitration proceedings. ​Rich joined Amtrak in 1991 as a litigator in the Law Department. After becoming a recovering lawyer in 2002, he held positions in the Host Railroad Group, the Planning Department, the President’s Office and the Corporate Strategy Group before joining GACC. ​Rich has traveled on nearly all of Amtrak’s, VIA Rail Canada’s and the Alaska Railroad’s route networks, usually in the company of his son, Tim. Since meeting his now wife, Sheila, who works for the State Department, in 2018, Rich has expanded his horizons by traveling by train in Western Europe. He lives (coincidentally) on the site of a former railroad yard near the Alexandria, Virginia Amtrak station.