Patrick Nowakowski, the executive director of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, will be the next president of Long Island Rail Road.
Thomas Prendergast, chairman of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, made the announcement at its April 30 board meeting in midtown Manhattan. The MTA, one of the largest issuers in the municipal marketplace with $33 billion of debt, runs the LIRR.
"Pat Nowakowski is a railroad expert with a rare mix of skills and a long career of accomplishments," Prendergast said in a statement. "Pat's strong background in railroad operations will serve the LIRR well."
The Dulles project involves the building of a 23-mile extension to link the Washington, D.C. Metro system with Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia. Nowakowski previously served more than 27 years with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, which runs the Philadelphia-area mass transit system. He spent seven years as SEPTA's assistant general manager of operations.
The LIRR, the oldest American railroad still operating under its original name, carried 83.4 million riders last year. It has more than 700 miles of track and 124 stations on 11 branches stretching from New York's Penn Station to Montauk. Pending LIRR projects include the double track project along the Ronkonkoma branch, hardening infrastructure against the storm threats, and preparing for East Side access.
The MTA's contract talks with eight Long Island Rail Road unions are before a second presidential emergency board.
