Over the last 12 years, Phil Verster has overseen operations and major construction of some of the most complex and customer intensive rail services in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The Board of Directors of Metrolinx appointed experienced rail operator Phil Verster as its new president/CEO. Photo: Metrolinx
2 min to read
The Board of Directors of Metrolinx appointed experienced rail operator Phil Verster as its new president/CEO. Photo: Metrolinx
The Board of Directors of Metrolinx appointed experienced rail operator Phil Verster as its new president/CEO.
Over the last 12 years, Verster has overseen operations and major construction of some of the most complex and customer intensive rail services in England, Scotland and Ireland. Among his most recent assignments as a managing director of Britain’s Network Rail have been running Scotland’s railway operations, the ScotRail Alliance, and initiating work on the East West Railway, a new rail line linking Britain’s high-tech corridor between Oxford and Cambridge.
Verster was selected following an international search on behalf of Metrolinx. His start date is October 1, 2017.
Rob Prichard, Chairman of the Metrolinx Board, pointed to the unique set of criteria in Metrolinx’s search:
“We’re implementing a $34-billion transit build — the biggest transit investment in Ontario’s history and one of the largest in the world today. We’re quadrupling the number of weekly GO Train trips — from 1,500 to 6,000. We’re electrifying key GO rail lines to provide 15-minute express service all day long throughout the region, and we’re building new LRT lines to tie the region together.
At ScotRail, Verster oversaw the delivery of $3 billion of new electrification of the Scottish railroad.
Most recently, at the East West Railway, Verster led successful efforts to re-launch the project through creative partnerships with the municipalities and local leaders it will serve while simultaneously designing and engineering the project in the most cost-effective way.
The plan represents an increase of just 1.9% over the current year, and includes investments in new buses, more full-length fare gates, and other enhancements for customers.
The announcement highlights the long-standing partnership between the Class I railroad and the commuter rail system, dating back to Metra's creation in 1983.
In Part 1, Blandon shares his journey from the U.S. Marines to a leadership role in public transit, along with insights on mentorship and professional growth within the industry.
The revamped Buyer’s Guide will reach METRO’s audience of more than 17,000 print and digital subscribers, providing suppliers with year-round visibility in front of transit agency leaders, motorcoach operators, and industry decision-makers across North America.
Funded through the 2025 Investment Plan, the new R2 Marine–Willingdon RapidBus is expected to begin service in September, more than three months ahead of schedule.
In addition to new projects, progress continues on a multiyear effort to upgrade track, electrical, and signal systems on the Metra Electric Line to accommodate the expansion of service on the South Shore Line.
Behind every sold-out game is a transit playbook built on data, partnerships, and precision timing to move thousands of fans. Here’s how agencies make it work.
The Maryland Transit Administration is advancing the nearly $1.4 billion Light Rail Modernization Program, which modernizes the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line from Hunt Valley to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with new, low-floor vehicles and upgrades to all light rail stations, systems, and maintenance facilities.
Created with local artist Dante Lewis, the new “On the Move” audio identity aims to unify messaging and deepen the rider experience across agency platforms.
