(Newsday posted the following article by by Joie Tyrrell to its website on September 25.)
NEW YORK — He was 17 years old when he started as a ticket clerk in Massapequa, and back then James Dermody never thought that his first humble job was a first step to the top.
But slowly and surely and with time, Dermody moved through the Long Island Rail Road organization, working during the most critical of times — blizzards, hurricanes, Sept. 11 and the 1993 shooting in which Colin Ferguson killed six people and wounded 19 others aboard a rush-hour train.
His career spanned 45 years and Thursday , in front of the full Metropolitan Transportation Autho- rity Board, Dermody, of Mastic Beach, was named the railroad’s 37th president. MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow said the agency has “full confidence” in Dermody.
“I enjoy working on the railroad,” Dermody, 62, said after the announcement. “I believe the railroad is improving, and I believe we can do better for customers and employees and I would like to contribute to that.”
Union leaders and transit advocates praised the pick. Dermody, who was acting president since March, is also the railroad’s longest-serving employee.
“The MTA got it right,” said Michael J. Canino, general chairman of the LIRR’s United Transportation Union. “He knows that railroad backward and forward and inside and out.”
Dermody takes charge of the busiest commuter railroad in the nation, carrying an average of 270,000 passengers a day on more than 700 trains. He oversees 6,200 employees and a system that runs on 701 miles of track.
He’s known for arriving at his desk in Jamaica by 5:30 a.m. and staying through the evening rush hour. Unlike former presidents, Dermody said he won’t have a personal driver. His hours simply won’t allow for that, he said.
In the short term, Dermody, who has been praised for his technical know-how of the railroad, said the greatest challenge is to keep the fleet up and running. He also has two top vacancies to fill, a senior vice president of operations and a vice president of labor relations.
The railroad is also facing an unexpected $30 million deficit because of rising pension costs, which was discussed at a recent MTA committee meeting. Service cuts are not likely, Dermody said Thursday , but the railroad is reviewing its 2004 budget and will have a clearer picture next month.
Long term, the railroad’s growth is paramount. The LIRR is looking at potential sites for a 16-track yard east of Huntington to expand service on the Port Jefferson line.
Dermody said that a third track on the Main Line is also a priority for the railroad and would expand commuting to New York and reverse commuting. The two tracks that exist now are scheduled for one-way travel during rush hour.
“There are a number of things that have to happen,” he said.
While Dermody is known for mastering the mechanical operations of the railroad, one transit advocate said that Dermody needs to focus on customer service.
“He runs the railroad from a technical point of view, not from a point of view of delivering for passengers,” said Peter Haynes, president of the LIRR Commuters Campaign.
But Dermody said he is going to continue hosting RailTalks, regularly scheduled informal meetings with commuters in communities throughout the LIRR’s service area.
Naming a president also bodes well for the future of the railroad, local officials said, after concerns arose that the position was in jeopardy under a proposed reorganization announced last year by the MTA.
Under that plan, the LIRR and Metro-North would merge, and it was unclear whether the railroads would have separate presidents. But so far, the MTA has not enacted any part of the plan.
“This appointment will ensure that Long Island has an effective advocate and manager,” said Tom Dunham, an aide to Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre).