The former president of MTS’s Metro-North Railroad, Catherine Rinaldi, has assumed the position of executive vice president for the Gateway Development Commission (GDC).
Officials said Rinaldi’s experience leading to of the busiest commuter rail systems in the country will help her in leading the GDC to delivering the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP). Rinaldi will oversee all essential administrative functions, while developing and tracking metric to ensure the organization achieves strategic objectives.
“Cathy Rinaldi’s impressive track record speaks for itself. At every agency she’s led, she’s succeeded in instilling a results-driven ethic,” GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said. “With half our contracts in construction and more on the way, top talent like Cathy will help keep the Hudson Tunnel Project on scope, schedule, and budget.”
Previously, Rinaldi spent seven years as Metro-North’s president. During her tenure, on time performance rase to an all-time high and customer satisfaction outperformed any of the MTA operating agencies. As interim Long Island Railroad president in 2022 and 2023, Rinaldi launched service into the new Grand Central Madison terminal, the railroad’s largest increase in service.
She will oversee an organization in the midst of heavy construction, with work expected to accelerate in the coming months. Already, five packages are underway. The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relation Project has passed the halfway mark on the completion schedule and is expected to be completed on time and on budget later this year. Other projects include The Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Section 3 which is focusing on excavating 80 feet underground where new concrete casing will be built, as well as work on the Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project that has already placed 200 columns to reinforce the riverbed. The Palisades Tunnel Project is underway in advance of the Tunnel Boring Machine launching in 2026, and the Manhattan Tunnel Project is seeing similar early preparations.
The Gateway Program is a set of rail investments that will improve commuter and intercity services, add resiliency and create new capacity for the busiest section of the Northeast Corridor.