Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. (MBCR) has appointed Hugh J. Kiley, Jr. as the company’s new general manager.

Kiley succeeds Donald L. Saunders, who has been MBCR’s acting GM since March 2010. 

As GM, Kiley will focus on MBCR’s top priorities of providing safe, reliable, on-time rail service and delivering superior customer service. Kiley will oversee MBCR’s day-to-day operations and manage the strategic direction for the company, which provides service to the more than 140,000 daily passengers who ride the MBTA commuter rail system.

“Hugh brings forty years of railroad experience to MBCR and has coordinated service delivery at all levels of the industry, including commuter and intercity passenger service,” said James F. O’Leary, chairman of the MBCR Board of Directors. “Hugh will continue to build upon the company’s record of providing safe, reliable service and delivering superior customer service in Massachusetts.”

“MBCR has an impressive track record of service delivery, continual train performance improvement, and safety in its operation,” said Kiley. “I look forward to working with the leadership team and our diverse workforce to improve service even further in Greater Boston.”

Prior to his appointment, Kiley served as the assistant VP - Operations at Norfolk Southern Corp., the holding company of a 21,000-mile railroad system. In this capacity, Kiley has overseen major industry infrastructure and service improvement projects, while also serving as Norfolk Southern’s corporate security officer.

Kiley has served for nine years as the co-chair of the group that developed the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE). The $3.2 billion CREATE project is the largest public-private transportation partnership in the country and is designed to provide comprehensive improvements to commuter, Amtrak, and freight operations in the congested Chicago region.

Additionally, Kiley had previously served as assistant VP, Transportation Services at Norfolk Southern, and prior to that, in a variety of senior operating positions at Consolidated Rail Corp. (Conrail), including VP of Service Design and Planning and as first GM of Conrail’s National Customer Service Center. Kiley was also a high-level operations officer in several locations on the Conrail system.

Kiley began his career at Boston’s South Station in 1970 as a brakeman. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rhode Island.