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The head of Amtrak unexpectedly declared his resignation earlier this week. Elon Musk while the Trump administration aims at the U.S. railway service.

In a statement, Stephen Gardner mentioned he was leaving to ' make sure Amtrak retains the complete trust and support of this administration.

Gardner has led the national transportation firm for three years now. However, he reminisced about climbing the corporate ladder to become CEO after starting as an intern in the 1990s.

I feel immense pride in what the Amtrak team has achieved over the last 16 years by extending passenger rail services to more areas nationwide," he stated. "I'm grateful to the Board for their confidence and backing.

"We accomplished many things together to enhance Amtrak’s safety, update its infrastructure, and improve the overall travel experience for all our passengers," he noted.

In a distinct announcement, the Amtrak board refrained from naming a replacement but expressed their eagerness to collaborate with Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ‘in developing the top-tier passenger rail system our nation merits.’

Although Amtrak functions as a profit-driven entity, it is actually owned by the U.S. federal government.

Gardner made this statement just two weeks following billionaire Musk's suggestion to take Amtrak private, noting that the firm has invested over $4 billion in upgrades.

At a Morgan Stanley event earlier this month, the individual atop the wealth leaderboard and head of DOGE took aim at the American railway firm.

Initially, he described China's trains as 'amazing,' but later remarked ' When you return to America, you might say, "'Amtrak is quite disappointing.'"

He advised individuals arriving from abroad not to utilize the national railway as it would result in their being left with a ' a very poor perception of America.

The company has long struggled with old infrastructure and regular delays while Americans continue to face exorbitant prices.

However, by the close of the previous year, the firm reported an all-time high ridership for the 2024 financial year, reaching 32.8 million passengers, with demand still on the rise.

Amtrak likewise published a document opposing privatization.

'The white paper stated that it was unclear what issues the proposed privatization of Amtrak aimed to address.'

'In spite of insufficient federal support for most of its history, Amtrak has attained significant achievements since starting railway services in 1971.'

It remains unclear whether President Trump backs the privatization of Amtrak, but his administration suggested reducing funds for the passenger railway company during his first term.

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