Annual award given by Railway Age magazine

October 27, 2026 (BOSTON) – Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the MBTA’s operations and maintenance partner for Commuter Rail, is pleased to announce that Kay O’Neil has been honored with a 2026 Woman in Rail award from Railway Age magazine. Award winners were selected based on leadership, vision, innovation and accomplishments in the railroad industry.

“Kay’s career has been defined by her passion and dedication to improving transit systems and championing those who run them,” said Keolis CEO and General Manager John Killeen. “Her work has influenced passenger rail systems in Massachusetts and around the world. Along the way, she has mentored countless women on the railroad, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award.”

“It’s truly an honor to receive this award,” said O’Neil. “Transportation has been my passion as well as my career, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done to support railroads around the world. I’d like to thank my colleagues and Railway Age for this special recognition.”

Kay entered the traditionally male-dominated transportation industry in the 1970s with the determination and vision that she could contribute to transformative change. Her journey began with significant roles at the Boston & Maine Railroad and the MBTA, where she quickly earned a reputation for her innovative thinking and technical expertise.

Kay later founded KKO and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in transportation systems analysis, information systems and management consulting. Through her leadership, KKO provided critical software solutions and planning analyses to commuter rail systems across the globe, contributing to projects in major U.S. cities like Boston, New York, Miami, and Chicago, as well as internationally in countries such as Poland, Argentina, Macedonia, and South Africa.

One of Kay’s most notable achievements at KKO was the development of the Train Resource Management System (TRMS), a cutting-edge software system to collect and correlate disparate data on rolling stock, crews, infrastructure and reliability to provide an integrated database of train performance information.

Leading up to 2003 and again in 2014, the MBTA sought Kay’s expertise for the creation and negotiation of the largest contract ever between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a private company.

In 2015, Keolis invited Kay to join their organization where she continues to make significant contributions to Massachusetts’ passenger railroad. As Chief of Network Strategy and Partnering, she collaborates closely with the MBTA to plan and execute long-term capital investment strategies that align with the commuter rail’s future vision. Under her leadership, Keolis has enhanced service reliability, operational efficiency, and the passenger experience for over 100,000 daily commuters across more than 150 communities.

Keolis Commuter Services has operated and maintained the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, the sixth largest commuter rail operation in North America, for over twelve years. KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America (KNA), both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 people throughout the region. KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group, an innovative global leader in transit services with more than a century of passenger transportation experience and operations in 13 countries.

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