From the planes to the trains

Keolis Commuter Services has named United Airlines aircraft maintenance veteran Kenneth Trahan as Chief Mechanical Officer for its Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail system operations and maintenance contract, the company announced on July 8, 2015.

Trahan will manage Keolis’ fleet maintenance operations ensuring the safety, performance and regulatory compliance of the locomotives and cars that transport more than 125,000 people across Greater Boston each day.

Described by Keolis as “An experienced manager and leader,” Trahan comes to his new position with nearly 40 years in the transportation industry, including 29 years with United Airlines, where he most recently served as Director of Maintenance overseeing operations in Boston and Cleveland. United is one of the world’s largest airlines, carrying 90 million passengers annually on a fleet of more than 700 aircraft.

“We are pleased to welcome Ken Trahan to the Keolis team,” said Gerald C. Francis, General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services. “United Airlines is globally recognized as a leader in terms of mechanical excellence, with some of the highest safety standards in the world, and Mr. Trahan played a critical leadership role in supporting and maintaining that culture of excellence. His skills and leadership abilities will be invaluable as we implement our plans for building a better, more reliable commuter rail experience for this community.”

“Safety was a hallmark of Trahan’s tenure [at United],” Francis said. “During the period he managed United’s Boston facility, workers suffered no lost time for injuries during a four year period. He also oversaw the merger between the United and Continental Airlines maintenance programs, and has extensive experience working with labor organizations and federal regulatory agencies. Ken  understands what it takes to deliver a reliable fleet in a timely matter and that experience will be critically important as we make the changes needed to improve the on-time performance of the MBTA commuter rail system. Bringing sustainable improvements to a system as large and complex as this one won’t happen overnight, but leaders like Ken Trahan will be key to our success in delivering the level of service that the people of this community expect and deserve.”