DOT tabs Batory as rail advisor

With his nomination as Federal Railroad Administrator awaiting Senate confirmation, Ronald L. Batory has been named as a special assistant on railroad matters to Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Batory, who retired earlier this year as president and chief operating officer of Conrail, this summer was nominated to head the FRA by President Donald Trump.

A veteran of 46 years in the railroad industry, Batory will serve on Chao’s staff pending his confirmation as FRA administrator by the Senate. Senators from New York and New Jersey have held up his confirmation in an effort to obtain funding for the Gateway tunnel project, among other Amtrak projects on the Northeast Corridor.

The FRA has been led by Deputy Administrator Heath Hall, who was appointed in June.