The head of Metro-North Railroad will step down after a series of disasters that was capped off by a catastrophic derailment that cost four people their lives, sources told The Post.
Metro-North President Howard Permut will retire at the end of this month, ending a year of tragedy that also included a collision on the New Haven line that injured many passengers and an incident that led to the death of a track foreman.
Joseph Giulietti, currently head of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, will take over.
Sources said Permut — who has been president since 2008 — has decided to leave because of the emotional toll the year has taken on him. He declined to comment when reached at his home.
Jim Cameron, a commuter-rail advocate and rider, said he wasn’t surprised Permut was leaving.
“In his long tenure at the railroad, he deserves a lot of credit for many accomplishments, including the replacement of our aging fleet of rail cars with the new M8 cars,” he said. “But as president, he is also ultimately responsible for what has gone so terribly wrong.”
The accidents include the collision in Bridgeport, Conn., last May in which more than 70 people were hurt.
Later that month, a track worker was killed while working near the West Haven station.
A freight train derailed in July in the Spuyten Duyvil section of The Bronx, prompting the line to be shut down for repairs, causing nightmare delays for commuters.
Then, on Dec. 1, a commuter train went off the tracks in the same area of The Bronx after the driver dozed off, sending cars flying of the rails. Four died.
Thirty-six people have filed notices of claim to sue Metro-North since the catastrophic derailment.
Although the railroad falls under the umbrella of the MTA, led by CEO Thomas Prendergast, Permut is the top official at Metro-North.
Since the December derailment, the MTA has introduced many safety reforms, such as having two crew members in the front of Metro-North train cars until safety upgrades are made to the signal system.