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Community Corner

MBCR Appoints Veteran Railroad Executive as New GM

(Boston, MA) – Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) today announced veteran railroad official Bonnie Murphy will succeed Hugh J. Kiley, Jr., who is leaving MBCR after serving for three years.

 

“Bonnie brings strong operational leadership and regulatory expertise to MBCR with her thirty years of railroad experience. She has held numerous senior management roles in passenger rail, and oversaw railroad safety across the country for the Federal Railroad Administration. She will continue to raise the bar on our already excellent safety and operational record,” said 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.”

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“I look forward to working with MBCR’s proud, diverse workforce to improve commuter rail service in Massachusetts,” said Ms. Murphy. “MBCR will continue to focus on service delivery, on-time train performance and safety in its operation, as well as introduce innovations and enhancements that will benefit our customers.”

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A transportation industry executive for more than 30 years, Ms. Murphy comes to MBCR from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) where she served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program Implementation. As General Manager, Ms. Murphy will oversee day-to-day operations and manage the strategic direction for the company, which provides rail service to the more than 140,000 passengers who ride the MBTA commuter rail system each day.

 

Prior to joining the FRA, Ms. Murphy served as the Chief Operating Officer at Trinity Railway Express in Texas.  She also oversaw commuter train service in San Diego as Senior Transportation Manager at Amtrak. Ms. Murphy began her career at Amtrak in Chicago where she served as Assistant Transportation Manager.

 

Ms. Murphy earned a Masters of Business Administration in International Business

from Touro University International and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas.

 

Kiley departs MBCR following a fruitful three-year tenure in which he maintained a relentless focus on performance and achievement of key performance indicators. 

Under Kiley’s leadership, MBTA commuter rail service exceeded 95.7 percent contractual on-time performance between May 2012 and April 2013. Kiley worked closely with MassDOT and the MBTA on major commuter rail service projects, including introduction of CapeFLYER passenger rail service between Boston and Cape Cod, extension of MBTA service to T.F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction in Rhode Island, and the transfer of the Worcester/Framingham rail line from CSX to MassDOT control.

 

Kiley also led MBCR’s efforts to significantly upgrade a number of customer and rail operation functions, including severe weather response during blizzards and hurricanes and workplace safety. Most recently, MBCR reported the lowest number of employee injuries and lowest workplace accident frequency rate of any major American passenger rail system for the first quarter of 2013.  Employees at Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility’s Diesel Shop in Somerville embodied Kiley’s “safety first” approach by posting an injury free year in 2012. The CRMF facility received ISO 9001 certification in 2012 for the first time ever. Kiley worked diligently with labor leaders and union employees to foster a culture of shared responsibility and pride.

 

Kiley’s effective coordination with regional railroad operators, including Amtrak, CSX, Pan Am and the Providence & Worcester railroads, ensured that MBTA commuter rail operations seamlessly integrated with other rail traffic across a regional network of shared track and infrastructure.

 

Mr. Kiley’s tenure was also marked by near-100% air conditioning performance on passenger coaches despite record-setting heat waves during 2012. MBCR recorded 99.81% reliable AC performance in 2012, up from 99.74% in 2011.

 

About MBCR

 

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company, LLC (MBCR) is a partnership of Veolia Transportation, the largest private sector operator of multiple modes of transit in the North America and one of Europe’s largest passenger transportation companies; Bombardier Transportation, the world’s leader in the manufacture and maintenance of passenger rail vehicles; and Alternate Concepts, a Boston-based transportation operations firm. MBCR operates and maintains the fifth largest commuter rail network in the United States under a contract with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MBCR provides service to 40 million passengers a year in nearly 80 cities and towns in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

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