MTA announces Siu Ling Ko to become first female head of subway car maintenance

Siu Ling Ko has assumed the role of vice president and chief mechanical officer of subway car equipment, the division of New York City Transit (NYCT) responsible for maintaining and overhauling the agency's fleet of subway cars and track maintenance vehicles.  

Ko, a 34-year veteran of NYCT’s Subway Car Equipment division, is the first woman to hold this position. 

“I am honored to accept this role,” said Ko. “Riders are returning to the subway system and our team is as prepared as ever to deliver world class subway service for millions of New Yorkers. I’ve spent more than 30 years with New York City Transit working to improve maintenance and reliability and I am excited to continue that work.” 

In her role, Ko will provide executive oversight for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of NYCT’s fleet of 7,092 cars and for the 24/7 operations of the maintenance, overhaul and locomotive shops. Ko will also oversee Car Equipment's Scheduled Maintenance System and maintenance material forecasts, all of which have contributed to improved reliability and mean distance between failures. 

“Having started with Siu in the 1980s as junior engineers in car equipment, I know firsthand her wealth of experience and knowledge makes her uniquely qualified for this leadership role,” said Craig Cipriano, NYCT interim president. “Her decades of experience will help move us towards our goal of making subways faster and more reliable, and her appointment as the first woman to serve in the role of chief mechanical officer furthers our commitment to diversify our leadership ranks and create opportunities for all.” 

“Having worked with Siu, I know her to be a strategic and innovative thinker, broadening the responsibility of what the organization can achieve,” added Demetrius Crichlow, senior vice president of subways, NYCT. “She knows first-hand the value of aspiring and working hard to achieve personal goals. She is rooted in Car Equipment and has worked to strengthen those around her through coaching, mentoring and professional development. She is adept at communicating and relating to all levels of the organization, allowing for more inclusive ideas and practices for meeting our goals.” 

Starting her career at NYCT as an associate engineering technician, Ko has held multiple positions since. As the assistant chief mechanical officer, quality assurance and new car warranty, Ko provided direction on all maintenance, overhaul shop and new car procurement audits, all new car contract warranty programs and technology services that report key statistics on subway car performance, maintenance and repair. 

Ko received her degree in electrical engineering from the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, (now called NYU Tandon School of Engineering), in downtown Brooklyn.