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It was a history-making week for Metra: For the first time in its 27 years, the commuter rail line had to shut down lines because of the weather. And for the first time in more than 20 years, it hired a new boss.

As swiftly as the Blizzard of 2011 swept into Chicago, forcing Metra to a halt, Alex Clifford came to town Tuesday from Los Angeles, offering a blue-skies promise of improved service, a better ridership experience and transparent management.

The question is, will the 51-year-old ex-Marine be up to the challenge of bringing the nation’s second-largest commuter rail line fully into the 21st century, overcoming a scandal involving its former chief, and keeping trains running safely and on-time, in fair weather and foul?

The full story appears on the Chicago Tribune website.