WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific has asked federal regulators to approve the appointment of former Federal Railroad Administration administrator and longtime railroad executive Ron Batory as trustee of the CP-Kansas City Southern voting trust.
The move comes after former KCS CEO Dave Starling, who had been serving as trustee, died last month.
“Mr. Batory is eminently qualified to serve as Voting Trustee. He served as the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration from 2018 to 2021 and has more than 45 years of experience in the railroad industry, including as President and Chief Operating Officer of Conrail and President of the Belt Railway of Chicago,” CP lawyer David Meyer wrote in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board.
Although the STB’s decision on the merger could come as early as March 6, merger transactions typically don’t take effect for 30 days.
As we experience a severe dearth of competent, experienced talent in railroading, I had hoped given Batory’s well deserved esteem and no nonsense approach, that Congress would have experienced an ideal moment to realize the role Batory could have played to clean-up Amtrak’s obsession with mediocrity and failure.
Instead, CP chose well and will greatly benefit from its selection of Batory as voting trustee.
Excellent choice!! Ron has the experience and detailed knowledge from the private and the public sectors, he has the ability to maintain an objective perspective (increasingly rare in this more polarized world) and he is well respected by most.
A truly competent, and knowledgeable railroader.
They could not have made a better pick!