Pros
Spent almost 5 years at Amtrak. Was given an opportunity to learn an incredible amount about the industry, though it was usually an, 'into the fire,' situation. Had a lot of great colleagues. Was able to make a difference and build credibility to my department. There was little support before, so the changes were welcome all around. Had opportunities to interact at all vertical levels of the organization and even with outside agencies/other transit companies. Decent benefits and a good work life balance as well.
Cons
Where do I start... Always have to fight through the cumbersome, both a private and government entity identity crisis. Lots of red tape, bureaucracy, conflicting information, waste, double standards and an ongoing management vs. agreement animosity. It's not about what you know here, it's about who you know and how much they like you. Promotions and jobs are frequently given to people who don't qualify or have little to no experience in that area because of that. Communication is poor throughout the organization. Benefits support would always give conflicting information. True career development does not exist - good luck trying to get the company to cover certifications or anything similar. Raises were minimal and performance management was a joke. Every year was the same - 'As your manager I think you excelled in every area, but I cant mark that because we can only have x% and give a presentation to executives about why you exceeded.'