< Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure Statement Amtrak, like most other large corporations, receives frequent inquiries regarding the Year 2000 (Y2K) issue and whether our computer software and other systems will allow us to continue to meet the public's transportation needs and our other contractual commitments as we approach and enter the year 2000. Please be advised that we are evaluating and, as appropriate, replacing or remedying Amtrak's systems and software so that they will function effectively after December 31, 1999.

Amtrak started working on the Y2K issue in 1996. Amtrak has a Year 2000 Project Office, sponsored by senior management, whose staff reports to Amtrak's Chief Information Officer, Stephen S. Roberts. Amtrak also has a Year 2000 Steering Committee and a Year 2000 Working Group. Mr. Roberts is a member of management's multi-disciplinary Year 2000 Steering Committee. This Committee includes both Amtrak's Chief Financial Officer and Inspector General who are responsible for overseeing Amtrak's resource commitments to Y2K and Amtrak's various Y2K budgetary initiatives.

The Project Office monitors and coordinates Amtrak's Y2K readiness plan and Amtrak's Y2K readiness initiatives. The Project Office's staff calls upon other Amtrak resources as necessary to assist it in discharging its responsibility. Further, Amtrak has also retained outside consultants to assist in addressing Y2K software issues.

Amtrak has completed an inventory to identify all internal and external systems that may be affected by the Y2K issue, and "mission-critical" systems are being tested. Amtrak has already replaced its mainframe hardware and operating systems software with what Amtrak has been advised are Y2K-ready computers and operating systems. To assure that certain key vendors will continue to provide products and services after December 31, 1999, Amtrak has sent them a questionnaire regarding their Y2K readiness. Mission-critical systems and suppliers have the first priority.

Amtrak has discussed the Y2K issue with the major original equipment suppliers and with suppliers of critical systems used in locomotives and cars. The older equipment does not use microprocessors in the control systems, and is thus not Y2K vulnerable. Some locomotives' data recorders have been upgraded to correct minor discrepancies with internal diagnostics information records, however, these discrepancies do not affect the safe operation of the locomotives.

Amtrak, like most railroads, has a computerized dispatching system, which enables remote control of signals and switches at key locations. The computerized dispatching system is being upgraded for the year 2000 and is being tested before installing the year 2000 ready code in October 1999. Employees can be stationed at remote controlled locations to manually operate signals and switches if the computerized dispatching system fails.

An inventory of signal equipment in the Northeast Corridor and other property owned by Amtrak has been completed, and the potential Y2K impact on this equipment has been examined. The equipment has been tested where necessary and based on these Y2K tests the equipment is classified as year 2000 ready. Amtrak has developed a contingency plan for signals and communication in the Northeast Corridor should a Y2K problem occur during the December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 calendar transition. Extra Communication and Signal personnel will be on duty and on call to ensure that devices are functioning properly and immediate action can be taken in the event of failure due to a Y2K problem.

We are reviewing our existing contingency plans for Y2K vulnerability and will be revising them and/or formulating additional contingency plans if systems' testing indicates that this is necessary.

All Y2K compliance efforts, including Amtrak's, are based on information derived from an inherently subjective and imprecise process, involving assessment of information coming from a variable number of sources and, therefore, may not be complete, accurate or verified. We are taking appropriate actions within our control so that Amtrak will be able to continue to provide uninterrupted service into the next century. >>

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), July 19, 1999

Answers

Says exactly nothin, same as all the rest. EXCEPT:

An inventory of signal equipment in the Northeast Corridor and other property owned by Amtrak has been completed

Don't look now, but it's JULY 1999!!!! If they've been working on it for SIX YEARS, why has "inventory" JUST BEEN COMPLETED?

and

Extra Communication and Signal personnel will be on duty and on call...

That'll be SO helpful. The switches won't work, but the extra personnel can scream "STOP!!!!!" into their radios as the trains get close.

Oh yeah....

166 days.

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), July 19, 1999.

I'm sorry, they've only been working on Y2K for THREE years...

My mistake.

?!?

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), July 19, 1999.

Snip:

"All Y2K compliance efforts, including Amtrak's, are based on information derived from an inherently subjective and imprecise process, involving assessment of information coming from a variable number of sources and, therefore, may not be complete, accurate or verified. We are taking appropriate actions within our control so that Amtrak will be able to continue to provide uninterrupted service into the next century"

If they had put this disclaimer at the top it would have saved a lot of reading !! does this sound like anyone you know here??

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), July 19, 1999.

Shoot, Amtrak can't provide uninterrupted service in this century.

-- Vic (Rdrunner@internetwork.net), July 19, 1999.

Sure - they have "incomplete's" and "not done yet's" - and also appear rather slow to finish in Oct when they started in 1996.

BUT - they also appear to recognize what hey needed to, are admitting what "has been tested" and "still needs to be installed" and seem to recognize the "big" and "little" things that WOULD have failed if they did nothing. The details and systems mentioned indicate they did look for problems effectively (not just taking the vender's word for equipment), did find problems (in the usual places!), did an apparently thorough search (switchgear, rolling stock, locomotives, routing system(s), main office routines, etc.), and did support the effort at the right level in the company.

Overall - calm, reasonable, sensible tone to the report. Behind, as far as an ideal schedule, but they are testing (AND FINDING FAILURE POINTS) and appear to have a reasonable chance of finishing before Dec.

Compare this to the blase and humdrum attitude at many places. The press release - IF and ONLY IF they complete the remaining work correctly and ontime - shows they (Amtrak) should make it through with only "unexpected problems" left to fix on failure.

Good news, almost. Thanks Mara - nice to know some companies are doing what appears to be a reasonable job.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), July 19, 1999.

I have this vision. The temperature is 10 below (F.), a 20-mph wind is blowing, and the snow's coming down pretty heavy. Guys (and gals) are out in the boonies somewhere 30 miles from the nearest town, waiting to throw the switch when the word comes over the radio, back to the wind, stampin' their feet, shovin' their hands in their pockets.

Hope they're paid well!

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), July 19, 1999.

Not to worry, just as soon as one jumps the tracks and turns into a projectile of flaming cargo....they'll warm up real fast. Heck, Amtrack has been doing that for years *without* Y2K.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), July 20, 1999.

As one whose wife works on the Chicago-Washington 'Capital Punishment' run, I can only add, if service collapsed, would anyone notice? Seriously, Amtrak is making a play to be competitive with the airlines with the new high-speed rail Washington to Boston that is set to open in late fall, '99. I certainly hope that the millions spent developing this were not taken away from programs to make Amtrak Y2K compliant.

-- Tom Knepper (thomas_knepper@intuit.com), July 20, 1999.