Ronald L. Batory Confirmed as CPKC Voting Trustee (Updated March 3)

Ronald L. Batory

Canadian Pacific (CP) on March 1 proposed the appointment of former Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald L. Batory as Trustee of the CP-Kansas City Southern (KCS) voting trust, following the death of David L. Starling. On March 3, the Surface Transportation Board approved Batory; his appointment became effective immediately.

Starling, former President and CEO of KCS (2010-16) and Railway Age’s 2012 Railroader of the Year, died Feb. 26. He had held the trustee position since Dec. 14, 2021, when CP closed on its acquisition of KCS, whose shares were placed into a voting trust.

The voting trust remains in effect until the STB issues its decision on the companies’ joint railroad control application; under the trust, CP and KCS continue to operate as separate companies. A merger decision is expected this month. 

Batory, who was the 14th FRA Administrator (2018-21), is widely respected and highly regarded in the railroad industry. A 45-plus-year industry veteran, he began his career in 1971 working as a traveling Freight Car Accounting Auditor for the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton (DT&I) Railroad. He later served as President of the Belt Railway of Chicago and held senior positions at Class I and regional railroads, including General Manager in Chicago for Southern Pacific. In 2004, Batory became President and Chief Operating Officer of Conrail, the eighth largest freight railroad in America, until his retirement in April 2017. He was selected as one of Railway Age readers’ Most Influential Leaders in 2020.