LIRR names new president

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Joseph J. Lhota and MTA Managing Director Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim announced the appointment of Phillip Eng as the next president of the Long Island Rail Road.

Eng first joined the MTA in March 2017 when he was appointed COO, where he was responsible for leading major initiatives across all of the MTA’s agencies with a focus on innovation and technology while maintaining and improving safety and reliability. Modernization of the transportation systems became a key focal point during his time as COO to improve customer service with the development of new fare payment systems, mobile ticketing apps, technology integration, and procurement of new rolling stock and buses. Finding efficiencies and opportunities to streamline functions, Eng also was an integral part in the delivery of MTA’s 2015-2019 $29.5 billion Capital Program.

From October 2017 to January 2018, Eng concurrently held the position of acting president at New York City Transit. He succeeds Patrick Nowakowski, who served as LIRR president for nearly four years.

Eng’s appointment comes at an exciting and important time for the LIRR, as billions of dollars in key infrastructure programs are currently underway and expected to be delivered over the next several years. The Double Track Project, which will add a second track to the Ronkonkoma Branch between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale, is slated for completion later this year. Work has begun on the LIRR Expansion Project, which will bring a third track to the Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville, while crews continue to make progress on the East Side Access project. Eng will oversee the implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan, unveiled last month, which is aimed at improving service reliability, seasonal preparedness, and customer communications.