Dalton appointed VRE CEO, replaces Allen

Rich Dalton, who had been serving as an acting chief operating officer for the Virginia Railway Express since November 2019 has been named as its permanent chief.

Dalton was hired by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Rappahannock Transportation Commission, both bodies oversee the VRE. He replaces former CEO Doug Allen, who stepped down nearly a year ago.

More from a press release from the VRE:

“Rich’s decades of experience and railroad savvy make him the ideal candidate for the position,” stated Gary Skinner, chairman of both the VRE Operations Board and Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors. “His leadership and vision will not only allow our commuter rail system to weather the challenges presented by the current health crisis but to emerge a stronger organization, well positioned for future growth.”

“The search for the next VRE CEO drew interest from rail professionals from across the United States,” stated Katie Cristol, the Arlington County Board member who chaired the CEO Search Committee. “In this national search, Rich stood out on the basis of his unparalleled expertise in the operations of VRE and its partner agencies and his vision for the future of the system.”

”I am excited to lead VRE as we execute our strategic objectives for safety, complete customer satisfaction, prudent fiscal management, system growth, and a healthy corporate culture,” stated Dalton. “VRE is comprised of a world class staff and we will continue to work closely with our valued stakeholders and other partners to provide a world class service.”

A seasoned rail-operations veteran, Dalton has been with VRE for 11 years as deputy CEO and chief operating officer and, more recently, acting CEO. He previously served as acting CEO in 2012. Among his accomplishments, Dalton led VRE’s multi-year effort to implement positive train control (PTC), a federally mandated safety technology. In April 2019, VRE became the nation’s sixth rail system to operate under PTC.