Prepare Daddy is again.
Andy Byford, the previous New York Metropolis subway chief who earned reward from riders and transit fanatics for enhancing an antiquated system that had been affected by breakdowns and delays, is returning to American rail subsequent month as Amtrak’s senior vp for high-speed rail improvement, the practice service stated Thursday.
The brand new place comes three years after Mr. Byford resigned from working the nation’s largest subway system amid a rift with then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who had employed Mr. Byford after declaring the subway to be in a state of emergency. In September, Mr. Byford stepped down as London’s commissioner of transport, the place he had gone after leaving New York to supervise that metropolis’s mass transit system.
“I’m excited and humbled to be becoming a member of such an American icon,” Mr. Byford stated in a textual content message to The New York Instances on Thursday. “I had various job presents however Amtrak and excessive pace rail is the place I wish to be.”
Mr. Byford’s new place was reported on Thursday by Streetsblog.
In a metropolis that doesn’t simply heat to newcomers, Mr. Byford grew to become a beloved determine in his two years as president of New York Metropolis Transit, the arm of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that runs the subway and buses. A self-described subway nerd from Britain, Mr. Byford had spent his profession with transit methods all over the world. He ran the community in Toronto and labored on methods in London and Sydney, Australia, earlier than arriving in New York in 2017 with massive enchancment plans.
When Mr. Byford took over the subway, solely 58 % of trains have been on-time. By the point he left, he had helped to push the on-time efficiency charge to over 80 % by repairing defective switches and rising practice speeds, amongst different fixes.
Transportation in New York Metropolis
New Yorkers have been thrilled with the progress. Transit fanatics, who gave him the nickname “Prepare Daddy,” plastered stickers with Mr. Byford’s face on street posts with the slogan “Prepare Daddy Loves You Very A lot.” He often greeted riders at stations with a giant smile and as soon as even helped to scrub a flooded station.
However a minimum of one influential New Yorker was not down with the brand new king of New York — specifically, his boss.
When Mr. Byford stepped down, he steered that it was, partly, as a result of Mr. Cuomo had scaled again his duties as a part of a reorganization of the M.T.A., taking him away from extra formidable tasks.
The subway system Mr. Byford envisioned for New York is way from realized. Three months after his departure, the subway was almost deserted because the coronavirus pandemic quieted the town. Ridership numbers are lastly on the rise, however crime and security stay prime considerations for a lot of New Yorkers. The system can be going through a deficit and is contemplating fare hikes for subway and bus riders in addition to service cuts. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has requested for the town to contribute $500 million yearly.
Amtrak isn’t doing a lot better, and Mr. Byford, who’s shifting right into a newly created position, will face acquainted challenges.
Amtrak’s ridership additionally plummeted throughout the pandemic and has but to completely get better, nor has the rail service ever turned a revenue. President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package deal included $66 billion for rail when it handed, and Amtrak is ready to obtain $22 billion of that money, a few of which is able to go to new trains. Subsequent 12 months, Amtrak will start phasing in new Acela trains within the busy Northeast Hall. The brand new trains will have the ability to go as much as 160 miles per hour, barely sooner than these presently in service.
