# Phillip Eng
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{{Short description|American transit executive}}
{{for|the Austrian racing driver|Philipp Eng}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Phillip Eng
| image = MTA To Lift Bike Permit Requirement on Commuter Railroads (51374462349) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Eng in 2021
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|61|2023|07|8}}
| alma_mater = [Cooper Union](/source/Cooper_Union) ([BE](/source/Bachelor_of_Engineering))
| years_active = 1983–present
| known_for = {{plainlist|
* President of the [Long Island Rail Road](/source/Long_Island_Rail_Road)
* General manager of the [MBTA](/source/MBTA)
* Interim Secretary of the [Massachusetts Department of Transportation](/source/Massachusetts_Department_of_Transportation)
}}
}}
'''Phillip Eng''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date|61|2023|July|8|noage=1}})[{{Cite web |last=Dolven |first=Taylor |date=July 8, 2023 |title=The MBTA's new leader is more optimistic about Boston's subway than you are |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/08/metro/ts-new-leader-is-more-optimistic-about-bostons-subway-than-you-are/ |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}] is an American civil engineer and transit executive serving as interim secretary of [Massachusetts Department of Transportation](/source/Massachusetts_Department_of_Transportation) and general manager of the [Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority](/source/Massachusetts_Bay_Transportation_Authority). Before moving to Boston, he served as president of the [Long Island Rail Road](/source/Long_Island_Rail_Road) and as interim president of the [New York City Transit Authority](/source/New_York_City_Transit_Authority).
== Early life and education ==
Eng is the son of Chinese immigrants. He grew up in [Williston Park](/source/Williston_Park%2C_New_York) on [Long Island](/source/Long_Island), New York, then moved to [Mineola](/source/Mineola%2C_New_York).[{{Cite web |last=Castillo |first=Alfonso A. |date=April 13, 2018 |title=MTA names its COO, from Smithtown, as next LIRR president |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/lirr-patrick-nowakowski-i45407 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=Newsday |language=en}}][{{Cite news |last=Wolfe |first=Jonathan |date=April 19, 2018 |title=New York Today: A Q. & A. With the New L.I.R.R. President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/nyregion/new-york-today-a-q-a-with-the-new-lirr-president.html |access-date=April 8, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}] His parents changed the spelling of their family name from [Ng](/source/Ng_(name)) to [Eng](/source/Eng_(name)) to make it easier for Americans to pronounce.[{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/28/metro/phil-eng-mbta-general-manager/|title=Even the MBTA can't stop Phil Eng|date=May 28, 2025|access-date=June 17, 2025|last=Wen|first=Patricia|work=The Boston Globe}}]
He earned a [bachelor's degree](/source/bachelor's_degree) in [civil engineering](/source/civil_engineering) from [Cooper Union](/source/Cooper_Union) in 1983.[{{Cite web |title=Phillip Eng CE'83 |url=https://cooper.edu/alumni/coopermade/phillipeng |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=The Cooper Union |language=en}}]
== Career ==
Eng began his career in 1983 as a junior engineer at the [New York State Department of Transportation](/source/New_York_State_Department_of_Transportation) (NYSDOT). He became the department's chief engineer and executive deputy commissioner in 2013.[{{Cite web |last=Seay |first=Bob |date=March 28, 2023 |title=5 things to know about Phillip Eng, the new general manager of the MBTA |url=https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2023-03-28/5-things-to-know-about-phillip-eng-the-new-general-manager-of-the-mbta |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=GBH News |language=en}}] At NYSDOT, he helped execute projects including the construction of the [Kosciuszko Bridge](/source/Kosciuszko_Bridge) and the opening of [Rochester station](/source/Rochester_station_(Amtrak)).[{{Cite web |last1=Dolven |first1=Taylor |last2=Soebroto |first2=Ashley |date=April 10, 2023 |title=As Phillip Eng takes over as MBTA general manager, his focus: 'regain that trust' |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/10/metro/philip-eng-mbta-general-manager-first-day/ |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}] In that role, he enacted the initiative "LIRR Forward" to improve the system's reliability, setting on-time records in 2020 and 2021.[{{Cite web |last=Castillo |first=Alfonso A. |date=February 11, 2022 |title=LIRR president Phillip Eng resigns; Metro-North president named replacement |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/lirr-president-phillip-eng-departure-t14977 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=Newsday |language=en}}]
After he retired from the LIRR in 2022, he was hired as executive vice president of the LiRo Group, a construction management firm.[{{Cite web |date=August 2, 2022 |title=The LiRo Group Welcomes Phillip Eng, PE, as Executive Vice President |url=https://www.liro.com/news/liro-welcomes-phillip-eng-as-executive-vice-president/ |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=LiRo |language=en-US}}]
Eng was appointed by Massachusetts governor [Maura Healey](/source/Maura_Healey) to head the [Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority](/source/Massachusetts_Bay_Transportation_Authority) (MBTA) and started as general manager in April 2023.[{{Cite news |last=Deehan |first=Mike |date=April 11, 2023 |title=New MBTA chief Phillip Eng kicks off work at embattled agency |url=https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2023/04/11/philip-eng-mbta-first-day |access-date=April 8, 2024 |work=Axios Boston}}] At the time he assumed leadership, the MBTA faced a maintenance backlog worth an estimated $24.5 billion.[{{Cite web |last=Wirzbicki |first=Alan |date=December 19, 2023 |title=For Phil Eng, fixing the T is a step toward bigger things |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/19/opinion/are-we-there-yet-newsletter-alan-wirzbicki-phil-eng-fixing-t-mbta/ |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}] In his first year, he vowed to clear the slow zones that plagued many of the MBTA's lines and recover ridership lost to [remote work](/source/remote_work) during the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic).[{{Cite news |last1=Kashinsky |first1=Lisa |last2=Garrity |first2=Kelly |last3=McCarthy |first3=Mia |date=November 27, 2023 |title=Phil Eng spills the T |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/massachusetts-playbook/2023/11/27/phil-eng-spills-the-t-00128665 |access-date=April 8, 2024 |work=Politico}}]
The MBTA had been widely criticized for mismanagement before Eng's appointment. The executive director of the agency's advisory board told [Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) six months into Eng's term in leadership that "with Phil Eng, it's like the adults are finally in charge."[{{Cite news |last=Deehan |first=Mike |date=October 3, 2023 |title=A look at MBTA GM Phillip Eng's first 6 months |url=https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2023/10/03/mbta-phillip-eng-gm |access-date=April 8, 2024 |work=Axios Boston}}] He is the first MBTA general manager since 2015 with previous experience leading a transit agency.[{{cite web|last=Jonas|first=Annie|date=April 22, 2024|url=https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/this-is-the-grade-readers-gave-phillip-engs-first-year-at-the-mbta/|publisher=boston.com|accessdate=August 16, 2024 |title=Here's how readers would grade Phillip Eng's first year at the MBTA }}] Eng has also been lauded for his improvements in management and culture at the MBTA.[{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-mbta-general-manager-phil-eng-one-year/|publisher=CBS Boston|access-date=2024-08-16 |title=MBTA General Manager Phil Eng finishes first year on the job. So how's he doing? |last=Keller |first=Jon |date=April 10, 2024 }}] By late 2024 Eng had gained a notably popular following among MBTA riders, spawning numerous positive [Internet meme](/source/Internet_meme)s, and even being nicknamed by some as "Train Daddy Eng".[{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/16/metro/phillip-eng-mbta-fans/|last=Larson|first=Shannon|title=Riders had lost hope in the T. Then came 'Train Daddy Eng.'|work=The Boston Globe|date=December 16, 2024|access-date=March 5, 2025}}] In December 2024, ''[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)'' reported that the vast majority of slow zones had been removed, reducing average wait times by as much as 30 percent on the various rail lines.[{{Cite web |last=Larson |first=Shannon |date=2024-12-20 |title=MBTA expects a slow-zone-free system this weekend. But problems persist. - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/20/metro/mbta-slow-zone-free-green-line/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe) |language=en-US}}]
On October 16, 2025, Eng was named interim secretary of the [Massachusetts Department of Transportation](/source/Massachusetts_Department_of_Transportation) following the resignation of previous secretary, Monica Tibbits-Nutt.[{{cite news |last1=Sesselman |first1=Jamy Pombo |title=Monica Tibbits-Nutt parting ways with Massachusetts Department of Transportation |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/monica-tibbits-nutt-parting-ways-with-massachusetts-department-of-transportation/69054926 |access-date=16 October 2025 |work=WCVB |publisher=Hearst Television Inc. |date=16 October 2025 |language=en}}]
== Personal life ==
Eng is married and has four children.[{{Cite web |last=DeCosta-Klipa |first=Nik |date=August 2, 2023 |title='Little by little': MBTA GM Phil Eng talks hiring sprees, slow zones and beer |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/02/phil-eng-mbta-slow-zones-staff-attrition-radio-boston-interview-newsletter |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=WBUR |language=en}}] He is a fan of the [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets).