On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Ronald Batory as Federal Railroad Administrator. Batory has a 46-year career in railroad operations, with his most recent position being Chief Operating Officer and President of Conrail leading up to his retirement on March 31, 2017. Edward Hamberger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), praised Batory and stated, "Ron Batory is supremely qualified to guide the FRA moving forward, equipped with years of real world experience that will surely assist him in his oversight duties." The AAR represents the business interests of the Class I railroads and advocate for policies that grant railroads greater flexibility through “performance-based” regulations. The AAR also pushes to ensure that a regulation’s safety benefits “outweigh its cost”. Batory’s confirmation comes as the acting Administrator, Heath Hall, resigned after ethic allegations arose in regard to his consulting work with his personal business conflicting with his leadership role in the federal agency.
|