NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Amtrak is cutting about 450 jobs in an apparent effort to slash $100 million from its budget. It comes just months after the CEO stepped down and after Elon Musk suggested Amtrak should be privatized.
Norfolk Amtrak now charging for parking
While cuts are going on across the company, Amtrak passengers in Norfolk are already contending with casino construction. What used to be a free parking lot for riders is fenced off, so they now must park across the street in a smaller paid lot.
On Wednesday, Amtrak announced it will cut 450 jobs across the company, according to Reuters. A report from Bloomberg says these cuts include roughly 20% of the company’s top-level management staff.
An Amtrak statement says this is in an effort to save about $100 million from its annual budget. It is happening a couple months after CEO Stephen Gardner stepped down. Billionaire Elon Musk, who was then part of President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, had suggested Amtrak should be privatized. Now the future of Amtrak’s funding from Congress is uncertain. The President brought up making cuts to Amtrak several times during his first term years ago…