Vern H.
AVP Commuter Rail- Silver Line (Serving as Silver Line Director) @DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
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WORK HISTORY
AVP Commuter Rail- Silver Line (Serving as Silver Line Director) @DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
Plano, TX, US
Lead Silver Line Commuter Rail operations within a complex, 700‑square‑mile, regional transit network, supporting 3,762 employees and 13 cities. DART is one of the nation’s largest multimodal systems, including 93 miles of light rail, 692 buses, 80 stations, and integrated commuter rail and streetcar services, contributing to more than daily passenger trips. • Develop annual Operating and Capital budgets and five‑year capital plans for Silver Line service with CAO, CRSO, and service planning.• Oversee CRSO operations: dispatch, fleet/EMF maintenance, track/signal work, fare enforcement, passenger counts, safety, security, and complaint resolution.• Produce operational and financial performance reports; ensure monthly data accuracy for invoicing and FRA reporting.• Ensure compliance with service standards and all federal/state regulations; maintain audit and inspection documentation.• Budget for fleet, facilities, security assets, and state‑of‑good‑repair investments with CAO and CMO.• Provide operational input across marketing, customer service, finance, service planning, police, and special events.• Oversee Incident Management Plan, including emergency response, bus bridges, communications, and service restoration.• Administer operating contracts, RFPs, scopes of work, and vendor oversight.• Recommend service levels, special excursions, event service, frequency, and capacity.• Oversee Operating Rules, Fleet Management Plan, SSPP, EMF Security Plan, and COOP.• Conduct CRSO audits and evaluate rolling stock for lifecycle and availability.• Coordinate with Safety, Regulatory Compliance, CRSO, CMO, and DART Police to ensure safe, uninterrupted service.• Maintain strong customer relations, fare compliance, complaint tracking, and trend analysis.• Represent DART in community outreach.Key Achievements• Stabilized new Silver Line operations.• Achieved OTP above 99% in Nov ’25, Dec ’25, and Jan ’26.
EDUCATION
CT State Norwalk
Associate's degree Cum Laude, Business Administration and Management, General
University of Connecticut-Stamford
Bachelor's degree Cum Laude, Political Science and Government
Texas A&M University
Certificate, Jurisdictional Crisis Incident Management
Naval Air Traffic Control Training
Air Traffic Control
SMU Cox School of Business
Leadership DART, Business Administration and Management, General
Tarrant County College
Certificate, Train Dispatcher Course
University of Connecticut School of Business
Executive MBA, Business Administration, Management and Operations
ABOUT VERN H.
Vern Hoston is a seasoned transportation executive with over 20 years of operational and strategic leadership, known for reliability, adaptability, and a team-first approach. He has built his career from the ground up, gaining hands-on experience at every level of operations, and consistently using that experience to support organizational goals, establish & improve systems, and foster high-performing teams.Vern began his career as a U.S. Navy Air Traffic Controller, where he honed precision, discipline, and crisis-management skills. He then served with the Alaska Railroad before joining MTA Metro-North Railroad in New York. Over 19 years, he advanced through senior roles including Chief Rail Traffic Controller, PTC Liaison, and Assistant Deputy Chief of Train Operations. In these roles, he led emergency management, regulatory compliance, OCC operations, and multi-agency coordination across one of the nation’s most complex rail networks.In 2023, Vern was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and promoted to AVP/TRE Director in 2024. Most recently, he became AVP Commuter Rail – Silver Line at DART, overseeing daily operations of the agency’s newest commuter rail line. Under his leadership, TRE achieved historic performance:Record-setting On-Time Performance (OTP): 98.70% in FY24, 98.84% in FY25, with Q3 FY25 at 99.09% and Q4 FY25 at 99.42%.Ridership growth: Over 15% cumulative growth across FY24–FY25, including 12.34% in FY24 and 3.3% in FY25.Operational innovation: Implemented the Rescue & Protect Protocol, Transportation Resiliency Plan, and Enterprise Asset Management Strategy, strengthening safety, resilience, and long-term asset performance.Vern is recognized as a true operations professional who leads by example, prioritizes team success over individual accolades, and ensures every decision supports organizational objectives. His leadership combines operational mastery, crisis-tested decision-making, and strategic foresight, creating safe, efficient, and customer-focused transportation systems. He holds an Executive MBA and a BA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. Guided by a commitment to excellence, Vern is inspired daily by his faith, his wife & four children, and by building teams that succeed together.
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