Watch CBS News

Metra's Interim CEO, A Veteran Of Railroads, Gets Job Permanently

CHICAGO (AP) - Metra's board of directors has picked a veteran railroader to lead the Chicago commuter rail agency.

Interim CEO Don Orseno, a former chief of operations and a train engineer earlier in his career, on Friday was named chief executive officer at $262,000 a year.

Orseno's appointment comes in the wake of riders complaining about delays and cancellations during January, and a recent report the agency's police department is functioning improperly.

Orseno's predecessor, Alex Clifford, says he forced out of the job after a little over two years because he didn't go along with patronage requests. Clifford's predecessor, Phil Pagano, committed suicide in 2010 during an investigation into his defrauding the agency $475,000.

Noting both his father and grandfather were railroad men, Orseno says getting the job means he's "living my dream."

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.