Commuter rail chief to step aside

Two years after taking over the region's complaint-ridden commuter rail service, James O'Leary said that he is stepping aside and that his deputy will assume day-to-day operations.

"What we hoped to do back in August 2006 was bring some stability to the operation," O'Leary said yesterday. "We've had very good success."

O'Leary, who once led the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, is a part owner of the consortium - Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. - that runs commuter rail service for the MBTA. He took over direct management two years ago after a summer of broken air conditioners and complaints about poor and tardy service.

He will be replaced by Richard A. Davey, his 35-year-old deputy, who has been with the company for five years.

The air conditioning problems have generally been fixed, but tardiness continues to be an issue for many of the 72,000 commuters. In August, 17.5 percent of trains were at least five minutes late, which managers attribute to heavy track construction. Despite significant problems with delays, O'Leary's company won a three-year extension of its contract last December, worth $227 million per year, the largest private commuter rail contract in the country.

O'Leary said the company is improving service, thanks to the MBTA's increased investment in equipment. The company also helped integrate service on the Greenbush line.

Davey promises to focus on customer service, safety, and identifying areas where investment can improve reliability.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.