Amtrak needs better data to manage real estate, inspector general says

Amtrak could save at least $23.2 million in unnecessary costs and realize as much as $6.8 million in additional revenue if it does a more effective job at managing its real estate, according to a new report by Amtrak's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The OIG identified "several opportunities to strengthen the effectiveness" of Amtrak's real estate property management process, including by using better data and analytic tools to make decisions about the properties.

The OIG recommended that Amtrak finalize plans and develop a timeline for collecting quality data. Once completed, Amtrak should use the data to develop "meaningful property metrics consistent with common practices in the private and public sectors," the inspector general recommended.

"To do so, [Amtrak] will need to develop a process for collecting current information on office assignments, hiring, departures, and relocations," the report stated. "We also recommended that [Amtrak] require sponsoring departments to prepare business cases or similar analyses to make decisions about property leases."

Finally, the OIG recommended Amtrak "develop a long-term facility plan to ensure that individual departments' real property decisions are consistent with the company's long-term strategic goals."

The full report is available here.