Metrolink Chief Strategy Officer Paul Hubler (front row, far left) poses with Commuter Rail Coalition attendees outside the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s new Iron Horse Park Operations Control Center ahead of a tour of the dispatching facility.
Members of Metrolink’s executive leadership team featured prominently at the 2024 Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) Summit Oct. 14-16 in Boston. The annual event, which was hosted this year by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), brings industry leaders together to explore new ideas, learn from one another and collaborate on the most pressing issues facing commuter railroads.
Collectively, the Metrolink delegation provided in-depth insight into our ongoing transformation from a traditional commuter line to a robust regional passenger rail system. On the first day of the conference, CEO Darren Kettle, in his role as a CRC board member, presented his strategic vision for the agency and shared how and why Metrolink is evolving to reach new customers and better serve Southern California communities.
On the summit’s second day, Chief Customer Experience Officer Lisa Bahr joined Michelle Bouchard, executive director of Caltrain, Aaron Maertins, director of operations and project management for Metra in Chicago, and Lynsey Heffernan, chief of policy and strategic planning at MBTA, on a panel moderated by Robert Padgette, managing director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. During the session, titled “Innovation in Fare Policy and Fare Media – A Response to Changing Travel Markets,” Lisa outlined how the customer perspective is guiding Metrolink’s trajectory, particularly in areas like fare policy and product strategy, and the tools we are deploying to support ridership growth.
Chief Strategy Officer Paul Hubler participated in the “Reimagining Commuter Rail” panel alongside Melissa Flores Saxe, Sounder South project development director for Sound Transit in Seattle, Alistair Sawers, head of rail modernization for MBTA, and moderator Dee Leggett, executive vice president and chief development officer for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Paul provided an overview of Metrolink’s expanded weekday service model and how it ties into the agency’s long-term goals and regional transportation planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As public transit systems grapple with the lingering effects of the pandemic, events like the CRC Summit have become increasingly valuable forums for industry leaders to trade ideas and share key learnings. Metrolink is on deck to host the 2025 CRC Summit in Los Angeles.