The CEO of Virginia Railway Express plans to retire from the commuter train service by the end of June, the agency announced Wednesday.
Dale Zehner has worked for the agency that shuttles North Virginia commuters to their D.C. jobs since 1995, becoming the chief executive officer in May 2004. The former Navy captain will leave the agency June 30.
“It saddens all of us here at VRE that Dale will be leaving us, but he has accomplished many great things for our organization and VRE is in a much better place because of his dedication and commitment,” spokesman Mark Roeber said.
During Zehner’s tenure, the agency said that ridership grew by 94 percent, with some trains so packed that riders must stand.
Last year, on-time performance levels reached record levels, with more than nine out of every 10 trains on schedule, a sharp turnaround from previous years when delays were so bad riders fled the system.
A succession plan was not immediately announced.
