For the past three years the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (the company that operates the commuter rail for the MBTA) has flourished under the leadership of General Manager Hugh Kiley.
Now comes a new chapter for MBCR. The company announced yesterday that Bonnie Murphy, a former safety executive with the Federal Railroad Administration, would succeed Kiley as General Manager.
“Bonnie brings strong operational leadership and regulatory expertise to MBCR with her 30 years of railroad experience." says James F. O’Leary, chairman of the MBCR Board of Directors. “MBCR has enjoyed success under Hugh Kiley’s stewardship and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Under Kiley's three years of leadership, on time performance has been on the rise. The MBCR has exceeded the 95 percent benchmark set by the MBTA during Kiley's tenure.
Bonnie Murphy says she is looking forward to working with the diverse staff at the MBCR. “MBCR will continue to focus on service delivery, consistent on-time train performance and safety in its operation, as well as introduce innovations and enhancements that will benefit our customers." says Murphy.
Murphy will oversee the day-to-day operations and manage the strategic direction for the MBCR, which provides rail service to the more than 140,000 passengers who ride the MBTA commuter rail system each day.
This shakeup in leadership comes just as the MBCR's contract with the MBTA is set to expire. The current contract, which has been in place since July 2011, is set to expire sometime this month.