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2012 Special President’s Award & Team Excellence Award Issue

The News Publication for MTA Metro-North Railroad Employees

Day in and day out, the eight 2012 President’s Award and Team Excellence Award inductees define excellence in the workplace. Read more about their work ethic, dedication and willingness to teach others in this special edition of On Track. Pictured with President Howard Permut (center) are President’s Award winners (l.-r.) John D. Zidik, Kamala S. Sibaran-Browne, Michael P. Nolan, Nancy L. Huie, Albert Cecere and Natale Scafidi.

The Great Eight!

Pictured with President Howard Permut (center) are re pre sen ta tives from Team Excellence Award group winner Port Jervis Line Interim Service & Restoration Team. Consisting of many departments, the team overcame numerous hurdles to rebuild 14 miles of our Port Jervis Line devastated in late August 2011 by Tropical Storm Irene. (Details on page 8.)

Representatives from Team Excellence Award group winner Brewster Dis-trict (encompassing Brewster, Wassaic and Danbury) are congratulated by President Howard Permut (center). The team’s outstanding com mit ment to our Vision 2013 Goal of attaining zero injuries helped it snare this year’s award. (See the full story on page 9.)

It’s a railroad tradition that President Howard Permut eloquently summed up

this way: “Once again, we gather to ac-knowledge and celebrate excellence, on both the individual and the team levels. And we do this with great warmth, humor, and

above all, admiration for our colleagues.”He was speaking of the President’s/Team

Excellence Awards. This year’s ceremony, which took place at the Stamford Marriott, saw six individuals and two teams honored.

“Excellence is not something that comes

easily, and we should shine a spotlight on it and celebrate it when we can,” Permut noted. “At Metro-North, we are fortunate to have a railroad where practically every employee always gives his or her best on a daily basis.

continued on page 11

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Albert CecereDeputy Assistant Chief Mechanical Officer – Harlem Line, Maintenance of Equipment

No matter what position he has worked in, Al Cecere has always been a team player who has led by example.

Al started his career as a coach cleaner, working his way up through the ranks of the railroad’s Mechanical Department. In every position he has held, he has derived personal satisfaction from upholding a high standard of safety, efficiency and proactive hands-on leadership.

A most recent example of his contribution to the railroad is the M3 Performance Improvement Program (PIP). Al worked incessantly to develop and implement this successful and cost-efficient program, which overhauled and upgraded our 138-car M3 fleet over a five-year period. The program, which saw the M3’s Mean Distance Between Failure jump from 58,700 to more than 400,000 miles, will enable Metro-North to

keep the cars in service until 2020. This was all accom-plished on-time, within budget and with no employee injuries, meeting several Vision 2013 goals with one effort.

No matter what project he is working on, Al is all about

safety first. He took it upon himself to initiate a Safety Committee for the third trick at the North White Plains Shop. Al did this to help reinforce and support safe work practices for this shift, whose employees are not able to make the District Safety meet-ings due to their work hours. His efforts played a key role in the North White Plains District’s recent winning of the President’s Cup for Excellence in Safety and MTA Chairman’s Excellence in Safety Award.

“The President’s Award was an unex-pected surprise,” Al said. “Throughout my 35 years with Metro-North, safety has always been my top priority.”

As a mentor, Al has always looked to identify and encourage employees that have potential as Metro-North’s future leaders. His efforts in this area have kept critical functions, such as the Wreck Crew and the North White Plains Paint Shop, alive and well.

Al’s impact on Metro-North can be seen in all he has accomplished in his long, varied career, and in the accomplishments of those he has mentored and inspired.

“Attention to detail and good follow-up are really important. And, if you do things safely and consistently, it’s easier to manage and teach others. As I’m getting toward the end of my career, I want to know that the people taking over will lead with these same priorities in mind,” Al concluded.

(Below) Though Al was surprised by his honor, coworkers Robert Castellano (left) and John Militano (right) were not!

Al is surrounded by his proud family, including wife, Phyllis (far left); son, Joseph (second from right); and, daughter, Susan, as President Howard Permut congratulates him.

(Below) Colleagues (standing, l.-r.) Joseph Veniscofksi, Robert Schiffer, Eleanor Ferrante, Joshua Ballard, and (seated, left) Michael Talt celebrate Al’s accolade.

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Nancy L. HuieManager, Customer and Employee Communications – Corporate & Public Affairs

President Howard Permut congratulates Nancy for her crackerjack news reporting and crisis communications skills.

copy, real-time web postings and seat notices.But it is during high-stress situations,

such as snowstorms, hurricanes and black-outs, that her value to the railroad becomes most apparent.

Nancy is able to take information given to her from the Situation Room or employees in the field and speedily transform it into easy-to-understand customer advisories with little guidance. This is thanks to her taking the time to look outside the scope of her job to learn the “ins and outs” of this railroad.

No matter what the situation, Nancy

always maintains a very high standard of professionalism. She treats everyone with respect and patience, while at the same time relentlessly pursuing the information she needs to finish her copy.

Through hard work and dedication, Nancy makes sure Metro-North’s story — whether she is telling it to our employees or our customers — is always in the public eye.

“The reality is, bringing our employees and customers timely, interesting news — as well as vital service information — requires a team effort,” Nancy noted.

Nancy and colleagues celebrate our prestigious Brunel Award. (Back l.-r.) Barbara Sarcich, Meredith Conti, Terrence McCauley and Nate Gilbertson; (middle, l.-r.) Kyle McCarthy, Mary Nodell and intern Craig Bosman; and, (front, l.-r.) Linda Keyes, Mae Patel and intern Anthony Hernandez.

During the normal workday, and especially in times of crisis, Nancy Huie understands how important the flow of information is to the success of Metro-North.

Her strong news sense and quick writing make her the embodiment of our Vision 2013 goal of improving employee, customer and stakeholder communications.

Nancy’s drive to bring new and exciting information to our employees on a regular basis can be seen in the Metro-North Railroad edition of MTA Today, in Weekly News and in the pages of On Track.

She also views the articles she writes for these outlets as a means of recognizing the many accomplishments of her coworkers, and takes the extra time to make sure her stories are accurate and entertaining.

“Receiving the President’s Award is such an honor because it’s my peers — those who help me do my job better — recognizing my work,” Nancy said. “And, although this is an individual award, everyone who has worked with me deserves to share in this distinction.”

Nancy is a strong proponent of safety, researching and writing stories that highlight her coworkers’ accomplishments to remain injury free. She regularly attends and reports on Priority One events to ensure the safety message is kept in the corporate consciousness.

Our customers are kept in the know thanks to Nancy’s ability to clearly and succinctly explain planned service changes in signage

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Michael P. Nolan Assistant Director, Service Quality – Customer Service & Stations

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Mike’s coworkers know that he’s all about the details. Pictured (l.-r.) are Melissa Gissentanner, Ray Rosario, Rich Hegmann, Yolette Walcott and Belkis De La Cruz.

(Left) Mike shares his proud moment with the Nolan clan: (l.-r.) children Phoebe, Ethan and Chloe; wife Lori and sister Cindy; and, President Howard Permut (center).

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Mike takes ownership of every project he works on. He even audits himself and his group to ensure the information being dis seminated is accurate, and the work they are doing is being carried out efficiently.

An example of his self-improvement can be seen in his revamping of the Lost & Found in Grand Central. Mike incorporated in for ma-tion technology to automate the operation. Barcode scanners were introduced to help

identify and track items so that they can be quickly located and returned to our cus tomers. As a result, our Lost & Found, with its web-based management system, has been recognized as one of the best in the world.

“The Service Quality Group acts as the eyes and ears of our customers when we perform train and station inspections,” Mike explained. “We push the envelope every day by working with the Operations Services Department to continuously improve the customer experience. And, we share that same goal in the Lost & Found.”

Mike is currently working on two new inspection programs: The Grand Central Customer Experience Inspection Program and the Grand Central & Outlying Ticket Office Program, to be implemented this year.

“I want to thank all of our Service Quality and Lost & Found employees for their hard work and dedication. My success is their success, and I would not have won this award without their help,” he concluded.

Michael Nolan knows the devil isn’t just in the details. There’s also a lot of good stuff that can ultimately improve the customer experience at Metro-North, too!

That is why, in his role as Assistant Director, Service Quality, he provides extremely detailed data to all of his internal customers, which include practically every department on the railroad.

Under Mike’s leadership, the Service Quality Program now generates more weekly/monthly reports, providing various departments with the information they need to make immediate improvements to every aspect of our service.

Mike’s program development skills are second to none. That is why his colleagues continually turn to him to evaluate existing processes, knowing that he will quickly assess the situation, determine potential areas for improvement, develop a project scope, and lead them to a more efficient way of getting the job done.

Still, Mike never expected accolades for his hard work. “I was really surprised when I learned that I had won the President’s Award,” he said. “It’s truly a great honor.”

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Natale ScafidiSupervisor – Materials Procurement & Material Management

Natale “Nat” Scafidi is living proof that true success is measured in happiness. The always personable, always down-to-earth Storeroom Supervisor is distinctly known for his exemplary work ethic and self-motivation. Beyond his “workhorse” mentality, though, is an attitude that aligns directly with our Vision 2013 goals of Achieving Zero Injuries and Improving Employee Communication.

Behind a consistent smile and friendly demeanor, Nat has thrived in the storeroom of North White Plains.

His selflessness has been reflected time and time again while on the job, from his retrieving safety equipment without

hesitation to his demonstrating proper use of machinery and forklifts. Nat also prepared safety kits prior to Tropical Storm Irene, a commitment to safety that shows why he has not lost time due to an injury in nearly six years.

But in order to ensure safety, everyone must be on the same page; that’s where Nat’s masterful ability to communicate proves to be so important. No matter how long it takes, he will not leave a meeting until safety procedures are completely understood (which sometimes even means homework assignments).

“I work with the greatest team — the

(Left) Coworkers Thomas Worrell (far left) and Nicholas Liberati (far right), share Nat’s moment in the spotlight with President Howard Permut (second from right).

5Procurement & Material Management Department. We’re like a family. They bring out the best in me — and each other — every day,” Nat said.

To create a more-efficient environment for his Metro-North family, he requested and received better lighting in the store-room. And he even stayed well past his shift on numerous occasions to ensure his employees were comfortable with operating the VIDMAR Racking System. Bear in mind, regular shifts begin at 8 AM, but you’ll never catch the energetic Nat walking into work later than 6:30 AM.

Nat relentlessly does extra investigating when parts cannot be found. Because of his self-driven approach, the storeroom possesses a new-found pride in its now fully stocked, fully organized operation.

To Nat, there is always room for improve-ment. His drive to continually advance storeroom operations has led him to Harmon Shop, where he plans on continu-ing to be an asset to the railroad—and to keeping Metro-North well stocked.

“I feel that the whole department should have gotten recognized, so I’m accepting the President’s Award on their behalf,” he said.

(Below) Nat with his Metro-North family (l.-r.): Nicholas Liberati, Charles Reale (co-nominator), Kris Gariepy, Cindy Griggs, Tim Sullivan and Thomas Worrell (co-nominator).

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Kamala S. Sibaran-Browne Senior Promotions & Sales Specialist – Business Development, Facilities & Marketing

Kamala’s husband, Niraj Browne (far left) and daughter, Quinlan Browne, celebrate her recognition with President Howard Permut.

Coworkers congratulate Kamala for her “presidential” moment. Standing (l.-r.): Jay Fiegerman, Scott Ornstein, Jeff Olwell, Danny O’Connell (nominator), Gary Pretzel, Frank Lennon and Gerry Geisler. Seated (l.-r.): Linda Kenwood, Edilma Jarvis, Autumn Marchese and Robert MacLagger.

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Those who have worked at Metro-North for many years know Kamala Sibaran-Browne as “The Ticket Lady.”

Any employee who has entered one of the Marketing Department’s giveways in Weekly News (for tickets to one of our Getaways) and has won, has met Kamala. And because of a terrific personality, they don’t forget meeting her either.

“Though it’s a tedious process, I enjoy working on giveaways. I get a kick out of other employees winning because it makes them feel good,” Kamala explained.

What they don’t realize is that Kamala’s pleasant demeanor is only surpassed by hard work and dedication. Thanks to her efforts, Metro-North is continually able to find new venues to expand the range of “Getaway Packages” that are offered to our customers (and employees). These packages are a key element in attaining our Vision 2013 goal of increasing ridership and revenues.

Don’t let her pleasing personality fool you. She is a top-notch negotiator who works tirelessly to get the best deals for the railroad

and our customers. Kamala is the face of Metro-North to more than 60 community partners; she has developed strong ties and is held in high regard with many of the businesses and local officials Metro-North considers outside stakeholders.

Kamala is self motivated, dependable and detail oriented. She is also very approachable, always willing to share her skills and knowl-edge with colleagues from all departments of the railroad. Despite her busy schedule, she is always volunteering to work at railroad-spon-sored functions, including Harmon Open House, blood drives, National Train Day and Diversity Awareness Month (to name just a few).

“I always like to get involved, to reach out to people, to assist other departments,”

Kamala explained. “Whether it’s Diversity Day or the Blood Drive, or doing train counts, they know I’ll always say, ‘Yes’ to volunteering.”

Kamala is never too busy to take on more responsibility or assist a colleague. Her unwavering enthusiasm for her job, and for the railroad, is apparent to anyone who is lucky enough to work with her and benefit from the results attained by her. While she would be the last person to look for accolades, her colleagues feel differently and believe she is worthy of wider recognition.

“I really don’t know why I was selected for the President’s Award. I just love doing what I do, and just being me,” Kamala said.

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John D. ZidikTraining Officer – Operations Services Training & Development

John’s award is a Zidik family affair for wife, Christine, and children, Rebecca and Christopher, who are pictured with President Howard Permut.

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thought enough of what I do to submit and support my nomination for the President’s Award,” John said. “To be selected, that’s a milestone.”

Despite leading these courses and consistently volunteering for new projects, John always manages to complete his daily responsibilities as a Training Officer. And thanks to the vast knowledge he provides, the department continues to improve its efficiency in developing our railroad’s employee skills.

If anyone ever has a question, you can bet that John Zidik has the answer. A true “Einstein” of the Training Department, he has continually reflected his expertise of the field while showing a tremendous devotion to our Vision 2013 goal of Increasing Employee Development.

When it comes to Metro-North’s Train Service Training, John is the “go-to” man. His coworkers often seek out his knowledge regarding the program, as John himself always searches for ways to improve the learning process. Given the numerous projects and leadership responsibilities he has undertaken, it is easy to see he has succeeded in doing so.

By the second quarter of 2010, the high turnover of Train Service officers left John holding down the fort. Through that period, however, John remained committed to the program and his role as an instructor, and eventually played an integral role in rebuild-ing the department with new staff.

However, it was not long before John’s initiative, work ethic and brain power once again benefitted the department. Later that year, federal regulations called for a redevelop-ment of the Conductor Training Program. Who else but John volunteered to shoulder the burden. The new program was piloted in November 2011, and John works with all the instructors and leads all three classes.

“To tell you the truth, I was honored — and caught by surprise — that my colleagues

The program is expected to be fully com-pliant with new government regulations by the end of 2012. As for John, expect his wisdom to benefit Metro-North for years to come.

“I always enjoy working with other de part-ments — Operations Services, Main tenance of Equip ment and others — in pre paring stu dents to be qualified conductors,” John ex plained. “When a successful conductor is out there, he or she helps build positive customer perceptions about the Metro-North brand.”

Colleagues (l.-r.) Nicholas Currie, Cheri Currie, Erik Schnackenberg, Kristen Valente, David Guerra, Renee Nowakowski, Ryan Crimmins, Diane Austin and Anthony DeLucia congratulate their “go-to” guy.

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W hen Tropical Storm Irene raced through our territory at the close of August 2011, it devastated 14 miles of our Port Jervis Line between Harriman and Suffern.

The situation was so dire, experts predicted service would be out for at least one year, claiming they had never seen such severe damage in the region.

But the experts never worked with the team of Metro-North employees that responded to this disaster.

In all, there were 50 washouts that added up to two miles of right-of-way gone between Suffern and Harriman. Large sections of track hung in mid-air; some track was grossly twisted out of alignment by the force of the water.

Train service was inoperable. But despite the destruction, we needed to provide some form of alternative service to our Port Jervis Line customers.

Within two days, the equivalent of a new bus company was established, serving all stations on the line by drawing on the resources of MTA Bus and local bus opera-

tors. Every day, more than 60 buses operated on six routes, making more than 140 trips.

On the engineering front, emergency

procurement powers were put into place by the MTA. This allowed railroad forces to immediately begin making repairs and contract with an engineering firm for an emergency condition assessment of the line.

The goal was to develop a phased rebuilding plan to restore service as quickly as possible. The railroad caught a break after a quick assessment of the track. Working with NJ TRANSIT, train service between Port Jervis and Harriman resumed on September 19, with bus service between Harriman and Ramsey/Route 17 stations.

A new railroad had to be quickly rebuilt where the infrastructure was most severely damaged. Metro-North employees did an extraordinary job, bringing back full Port Jervis train service (26 trains on weekdays and 14 trains on weekends) on November 28 — earlier than anyone had predicted and under budget. Through it all, customers and community leaders were taken care of and kept informed around the clock of any changes to service.

Port Jervis Line Interim Service & Restoration Team

Departments Involved: Capital Programs, Communications & Signals, Corporate & Public Affairs, Customer Service & Stations, Finance, General Counsel, Information Technology, Operating Capital, Operations Planning, Operations Services, Parking Operations, Procurement & Material Management, Safety & Security, Track & Structure, MTA Bus, MTA Police, MTA Press Office and MTA Real Estate

Representatives from many of the departments involved receive congratulations from President Howard Permut.

Patrick Cashin

Speaking on behalf of The Port Jervis Line Interim Service & Restoration Team, Chris Silvera offered this inspiring comment.

“ As we approach the retirement cliff of 2013, those of you with your parachutes on have an obligation to pass on your knowledge, your enthusiasm and your work ethic to those who are rising up behind you.

We must ensure that the standards that we have established over the past 30 years are continued after we are gone.”

C hris Silvera, Secretary – Treasurer Teamsters Local 808

continued on page 11

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Brewster District/ Local Safety Committees & Employees

Districts Involved: The employees of Brewster, Wassaic & Danbury.

They also conducted daily Job Safety Briefings (JSB). By outlining the day’s tasks, employees knew what to — and what not to — expect. If the aspects of a job changed mid-course, everyone stopped and a new JSB was delivered before work proceeded.

The Local Safety Committees also did their part to reinforce safety in the work-place, acting as frontline guardians.

When an unsafe condition was identified, their members acted quickly and effectively to correct it at the site. More-complex issues were quickly elevated to the District for prompt action.

Most importantly, as the District success-fully pursued its goal, employees were recognized for their efforts via Safety and Wellness events.

Without exception, every employee in this District deserves full credit for this accomplishment because they have proven that doing excellent work means doing it safely. And that takes a team effort.

The 300-plus employees working in the Brewster Safety District (encompass-ing Brewster, Wassaic and Danbury) have proven that the Vision 2013 goal of attaining zero injuries can be a reality.

And they have done this while also advancing our goals of improving teamwork and employee communication.

How was the District able to go almost 10 months (from mid-September 2011 until early July) without incurring a single injury?

It started with the team making a group decision to live by this motto: “Brewster District, Taking Ownership of Safety.” That meant each employee — from management to crafts and train crews — committing to remaining injury free on the job.

Communication was the key to keeping the culture of safety in the forefront of the workplace. Daily meet-and-greets were held, where supervisors talked directly with employees, giving them a chance to bring up safety issues, and, more importantly, participate in finding a solution to them.

Co-nominators Michele Salvatore and Nelson Rodrigues applauded the Brewster District’s coordinated effort to create a culture of safety among its 300-plus employees.

Brewster District members get accolades from President Howard Permut for 10 months of zero injuries.

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Searching for the ‘WOW!’ FactorJami Spordone (below left), Manager of Conductor Accounts, and Autumn Marchese (below right), Manager of Administration, Planning, have a lot in common. They grew up in the same town. They started working for Metro-North at about the same time; Spordone is a soon-to-be 20-year railroad veteran, while Marchese has served for 21 years. The pair even goes to the same dentist! The kicker? Neither of them knew the other worked at Metro-North until just a few years ago, when they ran into each other in the lobby at 347 Madison!

Fast-forward to 2012, and Spordone and Marchese now have one more thing in common: both were first-time President’s Award/ Team Excellence Award selection committee members. Following are their joint remarks at the President’s Award Ceremony.

“When you work for a company as big as ours, it’s easy to get caught up in your own job,” Marchese said. “You tend to focus on the people you deal with daily to get it done.”

“And, you often forget that thousands of other employees perform very diverse jobs,” Spordone noted. “You might see them in the terminal or up the line, but you probably won’t engage them or learn about what they do, even if you live in the same town or go to the same dentist!”

“Jami and I reconnected at Metro-North, but we do very different jobs,” said Marchese. “And, we would not have had the chance to work together had we not served together on the selection committee this year.”

“And, we certainly would not have gotten to know many of the nominees, our fellow committee members, and countless other employees whose input helped us select award winners,” Spordone added.

“We don’t want to make it sound like the selection committee had one big party,” Marchese explained. “Committee work is tough. We all put in many hours over and above our ‘day jobs’ to get our work done fairly.”

“We began with exhaustive research on each every individual and team nominat-ed,” Spordone added. “First, we inter-viewed employees who had submitted nominations.”

“From there, we spoke to employees who currently or previously worked with candidates, from their supervisors, to coworkers to folks from other depart-

ments,” Marchese explained“Employees were always willing to take

the time to talk with us,” Spordone said. “Too willing in some cases!” Marchese

joked. “I interviewed six people for one nominee I vetted! But, I have to say, interviewees truly enriched the process. And that says a lot about them — as well as the candidates.”

“Those we interviewed provided a clear picture of the candidates’ work ethic, willingness to help others, drive to innovate and problem-solve — all to benefit Metro-North and our customers,” Spor-done said.

“We needed all the ammunition we could gather for the next part of the process, when the real fun began,” Mar-chese noted.

“The committee met weekly to debate the merits of each nominee,” Spordone explained.

“Members advocated for the individuals

and teams they had vetted,” Marchese added. “And the gloves came off.”

“Those sessions got intense because we wanted to ensure that we honored the most worthy candidates,” Spordone said.

“In the end,” Marchese said, “it was all about the ‘wow!’ factor. We selected those who go over and above, who teach others, who show real initiative, day in and day out.”

“Debates aside, we all agreed that Metro-North has many talented and dedicated employees,” Spordone offered.

“Hard as the work was, I would serve on the committee again,” Marchese said. “I made many new work connections and put faces with names. It was a great experience.”

“I absolutely would serve again,” Spordone concurred. “Even after working at Metro-North for so many years, I was surprised at how much I learned. Our fellow committee members’ camaraderie, thorough research and spirited debate made a tough process exciting and fun.”

“If you’re thinking of volunteering next year…. go for it!” Marchese encouraged. “We promise you, you will be exhausted!”

“But, we also promise that you will be energized by the creativity around this company,” Spordone added. “We saw that Metro-North is full of dedicated, talented and creative-thinking employees.”

“Nominating an individual or group for next year’s awards should be easy. Just look around you,” Marchese concluded.

2012 President’s Award/Team Excellence Selection Committee Members

Maria Gutierrez, Senior Engineer – Force Accounts, M of W Operating Capital

Donna Haynes, Project Manager – Promotions, Business Developement Facilities & Marketing

Bradley Knote, Director – Construction Management, Captial Programs

Keith Lambregtse, Assistant Director, Procurement & Material Management

Autumn Marchese, Manager – Administration, Planning

Ebony Owens, PEP Budget Analyst, Operation Services

Alex Perez, Records Manager & Archivist, Legal

Stacey Pringle, Customer Service Specialist, Customer Quality

Latchman Singh, Safety Officer, Safety & Security

Jami Spordone, Section Manager – Conductor Accounts, Passenger Revenue Accounting

John Zullo, Manager – Catalogs & Statistics, Procurement & Material Management

Patrick Cashin

Kyle McCarthy and Meredith Conti: Committee Coordinators

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Nominate Your Colleagues Today!

Find nomination forms on our Intranet, or from your home computer at www.yourmnr.org

or call Kyle McCarthy,

Manager – Special Events 212-340-4844

continued from page 1The Great Eight“Our ridership continues to grow. Our

level of customer satisfaction remains high. Our most recent customer satisfaction survey shows 93% of our customers are satisfied with our service. That ties our all-time high from 2010. And we are about to initiate the largest expansion of service in our history.

“One thing is apparent from all of our achievements: you always put the customers

first. You understand that they are the only reason we are here.

“This year’s award winners represent the spirit of Vision 2013 — and all of its ambitious goals — every day, in everything they do,” Permut concluded.

And we pay tribute to our colleagues in this special edition of On Track. n

“That is why we continually provide excellent service to our customers. That is why we are presented with international honors such as the prestigious Brunel Jury Prize for Overall Design Excellence.

“And it is why we have made amazing progress toward our vision 2013 goals. Our on-time performance remains outstanding.

A partial list of all that was accomplished in that short time includes:• Removingtonsofdebrisfromthetrack.• Salvagingsome150,000tonsofballast

and other fill to reduce the cost of the rebuilding effort.

• Rebuildingseveralnewbridgeculvertsand two bridge back walls.

• Rebuildingandresurfacingthousandsoffeet of washed-out track (requiring many tons of fill material).

• Installingslopeprotectionandnewdrainage and piping structures to help prevent future washouts on the track. The progress of this team’s effort was so

great that full pre-storm service was restored

to the line on January 15, and all repairs were completed by June.

And thanks to good planning, the cost of repairs, substitute bus service and lost revenue dropped to $21 million, far less than the original $60-million estimate. n

Port Jervis Line Interim Service & Restoration Teamcontinued from page 8

Executive Editor: Mark MannixEditor/Writer: Joe Antonacci

Managing Editor/Writer: Nancy HuieWriter: Mary Di Landro

Creative Director: Michael StetsonSenior Graphic Designer: Barbara Sarcich Contributors: Patrick Cashin

Meredith Conti Kyle McCarthy

Published for the employees of MTA Metro-North Railroad by Corporate & Public Affairs345 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10017

On the Road to Vision 2013Here’s how the railroad stands in some of our key goals for 2013 as of August 31, 2012:

Aug. 2012 YTD 2012 GoalAchieve Zero Injuries:FRA Reportable Injuries 12 107 155Lost Time Injuries 8 78 106Achieve 98% On-Time Performance:On-Time Performance (E of H) 96.7% 97.7% 97.8%Mean Distance Between Failure 164,082 168,308 135,000Achieve 98% Customer Satisfaction:Consist Compliance (E of H) 99.7% 99.8% 98.6%Customer Complaint Index (per million riders) 151.8 139.4 172Transport 100 Million Customers:Ridership (E of H) 7.19 mil 54.98 mil 81.76 milAchieve 9% Reduction in Cost Per Passenger (from $11 to $10):Fare Operating Ratio 63.3% $63.2% 60.6%Cost Per Passenger $11.22 $11.41 $11.68Achieve $75 Million Increase in Non-Passenger Revenue:

Incremental Non-Fare Revenues $ 0 mil $20.7 mil $23.8 mil

For more information, visit our Intranet at www.mnr.org or our Extranet at www.yourmnr.org.

MOVIN’ UPCongratulations to these employees, who were recently promoted or transferred:

Gerald T. Adams to General Foreman, M of E on 2/22/12; Thomas M. Flaherty to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Diana Garcia to Admin. Asst., Cap. Plan. & Program. on 2/15/12; Anthony V. Gesmundo to General Foreman-GCT, M of E on 2/22/12; Richard O. Leach to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Gregory J. Mason Jr. to Manager – Facility Admin., M of E on 2/22/12; Stephen T. Neville to Deputy Chief Ops. Svcs., Ops. Svcs. RTC on 1/31/12; Christie A. Oliver to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Gregory S. Sottosanti to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Linda Acosta to Manager, Exec. Div.-Cust. Svc. on 12/23/11; Maurice L. Adams to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Raymond E. Askew to General Foreman, Ops. Svcs. on 2/29/12; Patraj Badreenarine to Asst. Supv.– C&S, M of W on 2/8/12; Sherrol A. Blackman to Asst. Dir. Shops,Yards & Env., Capital Progs. on 3/29/12; Coryann E. Carlson to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Scott C. Conners to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Harold Daffin to Manager, Exec. Div.– Cust. Svc. on 12/23/11; Shon DeLoach to General Foreman, Ops. Svcs. on 3/14/12; Matthew J. Depasquale to Asst. Dir. Construct. Mgmt., Capital Progs. on 3/7/12; Roberto DiFabio to Conductor, Ops. Svcs. on 3/21/12; Kevin P. Doyle to Conductor, Ops. Svcs. on 3/21/12; Demetrius Ford to Rail Traffic Contrllr. Trainee, Ops. Svcs. on 3/12/12; Michael A. Fusco to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; David A. Gootkin, to Electrician – ICC Inspctr., M of E on 3/6/12; John Hagan to Conductor, Ops. Svcs. on 3/21/12; Cory J. Harris to Asst. Stationmaster, GCT on 2/3/12; Greta J. Hunter to Manager, Exec. Div.– Cust. Svc. on 12/23/11; Richard L. Hyland to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; Christopher L. Lehaney to Manager, Exec. Div.– Cust. Svc. on 12/23/11; Andrea L. Malaspina to Specialist, Exec. Div.– Cust. Svc. on 12/23/11; Anthony A. Mendez to Locomotive Engr., Ops. Svcs. on 3/7/12; John T. Michaud Jr. to Conductor, Ops. Svcs. on 3/21/12.

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The listings of Promotions & Retirements featured in On Track each month are provided by our Human Resources Dept.

MOVIN’ ONHere are more of your co-workers that have recently retired. Best wishes to all!

Susan L. Dorien, Conductor 6/28/79 – 8/8/09; Robert L. Pidgeon, Plumber – Sanitary 2/16/88 – 8/1/10; Frank J. Baskay, Foreman – Track 6/4/73 – 2/1/12; Charles P. Ewing, Electrical Foreman 10/8/74 – 2/1/12; Frank J. Ferrara, Deputy Chief 12/3/74 – 2/1/12; Dennis Saraceno, TSM Clerk I 6/5/75 – 2/1/12; Edward V. Yerks Jr., Lead Ticket Seller 1/10/77 – 2/1/12; Robert Chester, PEP Foreman A 1/14/84 – 2/1/12; Elton A. Saunders, Coach Cleaner 11/26/84 – 2/1/12; Edward P. Russo, Machine Operator Class 1 8/18/75 – 2/1/12; Morgan E. Davis,

Conductor 8/12/76 – 2/1/12; Edward S. Thoden Jr., Asst. Deputy Dir. 11/9/76 – 2/1/12; Jerry J. Armstrong, Vehicle Operator 3/27/78 – 2/1/12; Robert W. Walker, Chief M of W Officer 9/15/70 – 2/1/12; Thomas M. Loughlin, Supv. – Structures & GCT 4/30/74 – 2/22/12; George A. Cruz, Substation Electrician 3/20/74 – 2/23/12; Edward J. Considine Jr., Foreman – Mechanical 11/13/72 – 12/21/10; Patrick J. Durkin Jr., 3rd Railman 11/13/76 – 9/1/11; Michael K. Molyneux, Locomotive Engr. 6/21/74 – 2/1/12; Phuoc Q. Truong, Custodian 10/14/85 – 2/23/12; Richard W. Bettley, Electrician/ICC Inspctr. – M of E 11/14/71 – 2/29/12.