Ronald L. Batory was sworn in Wednesday as the 14th Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
Batory previously served as president and chief operating officer of the nation’s eighth largest freight railroad, Conrail, from 2004 until his retirement in April 2017.
He also worked for the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, the Southern Pacific Transportation Co., and the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway. He became president of The Belt Railway Co. of Chicago in 1994 and managed the partitioning of Conrail as part of a merger approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in 1998.
Batory’s more than 45 years of experience means he will be of great assistance with improving compliance regarding safety alerts and in implementing new safety technology, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said.
“Railroads are an integral part of America’s transportation system and vital to our national economy,” Batory said. “In addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead, my goal is to use data-driven decision-making to further enhance safety while embracing leveraging innovative new technologies that will revolutionize America’s rail transportation network.”
The FRA administrator manages the agency’s regulatory oversight of more than 800 railroads, leads research and development activities, and provides leadership and direction for FRA-administered financial assistance programs, national freight, and passenger rail policy.