Chicago area’s Metra to hire chief audit officer

Metra’s board has voted to hire a chief audit officer to provide additional oversight as it continues to set a new direction and choose new leaders. The Chicago commuter rail agency’s board announced the decision Wednesday.

Newly named Metra CEO Don Orseno says he welcomes the move. He says the agency “has been through a lot in the last few years” and needs to “build rapport” with riders and “respect in the rail industry.”

The decision comes after customer complaints about delays and cancellations during January, and a recent report that listed numerous problems with Metra’s police operations.

The agency also has weathered allegations of political influence from a former chief executive officer, and, in 2010, the suicide of another Metra chief during an investigation into his defrauding the agency.