Quick Facts
Biography
Ronald Batory (born January 25, 1950) is an American railroad industry executive. He is President Donald Trump's nominee to become Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Batory has over 45 years of leadership experience in the railroad industry, including serving as president and chief operating officer of Consolidated Rail Corporation and as president of the Belt Railway of Chicago. According to Trains magazine, "Those who know him best think Batory sprang from the womb clutching a switch key. All he's ever wanted to do is work for railroads."
Early life and education
Batory was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a New York Central Railroad car checker and union leader. He earned a B.A. in business at Adrian College and an M.A. in industrial management from Eastern Michigan University. His father urged him not to "waste a college education on a railroad."
Railroad industry career
In 1971, Batory took his first job as a traveling auditor in freight car accounting for the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad (DT&I). Batory rose through the ranks at DT&I, working as a traveling auditor, administrative assistant to the vice president of operations, assistant engineer of the Flat Rock, Michigan track system, industrial engineer manager, and director of material procurement and planning. When Grand Trunk Western Railroad bought DT&I, Batory became a transportation supervisor in Pontiac, Michigan, trainmaster in Toledo, Ohio, terminal manager and district operations manager in Chicago, and director of transportation planning in Detroit. In 1987, he became general manager of Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway.
Batory later joined Southern Pacific Transportation Company as general manager of its central region. From 1994 to 1998, he served as president of the Belt Railway of Chicago. He joined Consolidated Rail Corporation in 1998, serving as vice president for operations and then as president and chief operating officer from 2004 until April 1, 2017, when he retired.
Federal Railroad Administration
In July 2017, Batory was nominated by President Donald Trump to become the next Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Railway Age's Jim Blaze wrote that Batory's nomination "is a creative move to bring fresh technical, business, operational and safety oversight to the FRA's important regulatory oversight position."