Metrolinx appoints ex-Scotland rail head Phil Verster as new CEO

Theglobeandmail.com
Aug. 24, 2017
By Justin Giovannetti

Metrolinx selected an experienced rail operator as the public transit agency's new chief executive on the eve of a vast $34-billion expansion. But, Phil Verster also comes with a history of public uproar over late trains and missed targets at the British railways he's operated.

Mr. Verster worked his way up the British railway system over the past 14 years, increasing service, introducing new trains and electrifying passenger lines in Ireland, Scotland and England, the same skills that will be needed around the Greater Toronto Area as Metrolinx expands, Rob Prichard, the public agency's chairman, said on Thursday afternoon.

"He's confronted many of the issues we now face," said Mr. Prichard as he announced the hiring of the 54-year-old South African native. "He has done exactly what Metrolinx needs to do now."

Mr. Verster stepped down as the head of Scotland's railway in January after only two years at the helm. During his tenure at ScotRail, he faced criticism over delayed trains and falling below the minimum punctuality targets set by the government, as well as lucrative executive bonuses. At the time he resigned, the Scottish government was considering a plan to repay nearly $5-million to the railway's ticket holders as an apology for poor performance.

On Thursday, he responded to the past criticism in Scotland at a news conference at Union Station in Toronto after his hiring was announced. "When our performance punctuality dropped by just over a percentage point from the target we had, we publicly publicized our recovery plan, and put a plan in place within a couple of months," he said, adding that service was back on track within a year. "I think out of the press reports of some of these incidents and challenges there is a different judgment out there."

Mr. Verster dismissed an investigation into whether he inappropriately received gifts in Scotland. He said a third-party audit found nothing of substance in the allegations. In interviews with British newspapers, Mr. Verster said some of the criticism he received as head of the railway was overly personal.

After leaving ScotRail earlier this year, Mr. Verster took over planning of a new rail corridor in England linking Oxford and Cambridge. He begins his new job at Metrolinx on Oct. 1. He will make $479,000 annually and serve a three-year term.

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Mr. Verster said he has only spent a few days in Ontario and will need to learn the politics of the area.

Steven Del Duca, the province's Minister of Transportation, welcomed Mr. Verster's appointment. "It is critical for Metrolinx to have experienced leadership as Ontario undertakes the largest transit expansion in our country's history."

Metrolinx, Ontario's main transit planning agency, also operates significant transportation infrastructure in the GTA. Going forward, the agency is responsible for the ambitious Regional Express Rail program to link communities around Toronto with high-frequency commuter rail and the UP Express rail link between Pearson International Airport and Union Station. While it's meant to be non-political, Metrolinx often finds itself in the middle of squabbles between Queen's Park and Toronto city council.

Mr. Verster said he will need to meet with local leaders to understand their needs. Metrolinx's new boss added that he understands there will be political pressure as the agency builds new transit lines and increases service levels throughout the GTA. "I keep an eye on the news feed, a close eye on what's happening, and I can see that there is a lot of listening required."

After Mr. Verster's departure from ScotRail, the Scottish newspaper The Herald said that while Mr. Verster is a respected railway man in Britain, he had "the wrong skillset in an overheated political climate" during his time in Scotland.

Cheri DiNovo, the opposition New Democrat's transit critic, said Mr. Verster will "need a backbone" in his role to stand up to political interference from provincial and municipal politicians if he wants to deliver on Metrolinx's mission.