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| Metro-North hires a dumbass ex-NJ Transit VP of Rail (1285976) | |||
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Metro-North hires a dumbass ex-NJ Transit VP of Rail |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Tue Apr 15 20:17:08 2014 NJ Transit’s former railroad chief, who was pushed out in March following two tumultuous years that included the flooding of nearly 400 rail cars and locomotives during Superstorm Sandy, has landed a job within New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Kevin O’Connor, the former vice-president of rail at NJ Transit, started April 10 as Metro-North Railroad’s new chief transportation officer, according to Aaron Donovan, spokesman for Metro-North, a division of the MTA that provides rail service in suburban New York and Connecticut. O’Connor spent 11 years at NJ Transit, first as general superintendent of New York Penn Station and later, deputy general manager of transportation. He was named vice-president of rail in 2011 and was credited by the agency for coordinating various station operations with Amtrak. But O’Connor came under intense public scrutiny in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy flooded hundreds of NJ Transit rail cars and locomotives that had been left to sit in low-lying, flood prone rail yards. Documents and emails revealed that NJ Transit did not follow a plan to move the equipment to higher ground, and instead left the rail cars and locomotives in the vulnerable yards in Kearny and Hoboken as Sandy approached. The damage to the equipment was upwards of $120 million. In February, the Christie Administration shook up NJ Transit, replacing former executive director Jim Weinstein with Ronnie Hakim – herself a onetime former special counsel at the MTA. Hakim dismissed O’Connor and Joyce Gallagher, NJ Transit’s former vice-president for bus operations, within weeks. Both left NJ Transit on March 21, according to John Durso, Jr., agency spokesman. Hakim, he said, “indicated her desire to begin a new chapter in the agency’s history, and we thank Joyce and Kevin their service and contributions to NJ Transit.” Durso said NJ Transit is seeking “a transportation-themed executive search firm to lead the search” for their replacements. Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti, in a written statement, expressed confidence in O’Connor. “I have known Kevin for decades and like many in the railroad industry, I have the utmost respect for his operational skills, his leadership and his management abilities,” said Giuletti, who took leadership of Metro-North in January. “He has 37 years of experience with Amtrak and NJ Transit, both of which are partners with Metro-North, and we will benefit from his long experience.” Donovan said O’Connor was not available for an interview Tuesday. He said O’Connor is taking over the duties of Metro-North Vice President John McNulty, who is retiring this summer. http://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-transit-s-former-railroad-chief-lands-job-within-ny-s-metropolitan-transportation-authority-1.997017#sthash.jTdslKUj.dpuf |
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