FRA Administrator, Amtrak Director Nominees Address Senate Committee (UPDATED 5/27)
POTUS 47 in January nominated Fink to head up the Federal Railroad Administration, succeeding Amit Bose, who resigned; and in March nominated Gleason for a five-year term on the Amtrak Board, succeeding Albert DiClemente, whose term expired.
UPDATE: The Senate committee on May 21 “favorably reported” Fink to be FRA Administrator, passing on a 15-to-13 party-line vote, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. The Association said the committee “also favorably reported” Gleason to be an Amtrak Board Director. The two nominations now go to the full Senate for consideration.
David Armstrong Fink
Fink, a fifth-generation railroader and son of the late David Andrew Fink, is former President of regional Pan Am Railways (now part of CSX). He got his start in the railroad industry in 1976 as a 15-year-old summer track worker at Conrail and had two co-op jobs with the Boston & Maine while at Northeastern University. After graduate school at Penn State, Fink worked for General Motors and for a crosstie manufacturing company. In 1998, he joined Guilford Rail System as Executive Vice President and served as President before it rebranded as Pan Am in 2006.
At the hearing (click here to watch), his focus was on safety.
“Our freight railroad system is the envy of the world,” Fink noted in prepared testimony (download below). “It moves what the nation needs for energy. It moves what the population eats. It moves the parts to the automobile assembly line, and it takes the finished vehicle to a final distribution location. It moves the containers from our ports. More importantly, it does this safely. Over the course of FRA’s existence, freight rail’s safety record has been on a positive trajectory for both train accidents and employee casualties. If confirmed, FRA will be dedicated to continuing that safety trend under my leadership. The nation’s rail network also moves millions of people across our great country. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides intercity passenger rail service throughout and across the country, while a host of commuter rail systems provide more local service. It is critical the agency focus on its primary mission, which is one of safety first.”
Fink also addressed the need to “refresh government regulations, innovating where possible and removing burdensome and outdated roadblocks.” The rail industry “has been developing state-of-the-art technology to make a safe system even safer,” he pointed out. “Much of this technology is ready to be deployed and I look forward to ensuring FRA is a partner in advancing safety innovations and not a hinderance. If confirmed, one of my first jobs will be to get this safety technology out in the field, working to make the rail system even safer.”
Fink reported that, if nominated, he would “ensure FRA is focused on safety and efficiency” through its grant programs, as well. “I know firsthand how the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program can support critical rail safety projects,” he noted. “I can also imagine there is room for improvement in the way FRA selects and delivers taxpayer funded projects.” (Editor’s note: This topic was discussed at a May 6 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Click here to read more.)
Among the questions Fink fielded from the Senators was his commitment to supporting the various FRA grant programs. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) asked about Fink’s support of the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) program. Kansas, the Senator said, has been awarded funding from that program for a potential extension of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Tex., with stops in Arkansas City, Wichita, and Newton, Kans. While Fink said he was not familiar with the Corridor ID program, he was “looking forward to sitting down and learning about all the different programs,” and working with Amtrak management “to improve the national network.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asked Fink if he was committed to the Rail Crossing Elimination grant program. “In my previous job, the majority of questions I got from Congressional staff were: ‘Why is your train blocking our crossing?’” Fink noted. “So I understand it from the railroad’s side and now I’m going to learn it from the FRA’s side. It’s important. In my interview with [USDOT] Secretary [Sean] Duffy, that was the second question he asked me … I think the grant programs are important and we’ve seen some real progress, and this is [another place where] technology will be able to help us—with blocked crossings. You have my commitment. We are going to be working on that right away.”
The hearing also addressed the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which the National Transportation Safety Board determined was caused by a wheel bearing burn-off. While rail safety legislation was introduced soon after, none passed. Sen. Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.) asked Fink: What can be done to ensure that the lessons learned are implemented by the railroads to prevent future accidents? The East Palestine accident “was an awful tragedy,” Fink said. He noted that railroads “have voluntarily put more sensors [hot-bearing detectors] out there to see if certain bearings are heating up, and to stop the train [if they reach a certain level] so we don’t have the same thing happen.”
Regarding legislation, Fink pointed out that his job at FRA would be to serve as “the enforcer” of any laws that are passed.
During the hearing, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) highlighted the rise in cargo theft nationwide, and asked Fink how he would address it. “It’s an issue that we need to sit down and talk [about] with the security folks from the railroads, our folks at FRA, and with the local communities,” Fink said. Blackburn told him that action is key.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked Fink if he intends to maintain the FRA’s final rule, 49 CFR Part 218 [Docket No. FRA-2021-0032, Notice No. 5], RIN 2130-AC88, Train Crew Size Safety Requirements establishing minimum safety requirements for the size of train crews. Fink answered: “Yes.” While the rule doesn’t specifically preclude railroads from operating trains with one person crews (OPTO, “one-person train operations”), it makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them to do so, going forward, Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono reported when the rule was issued in April 2024.
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.Mex.) asked Fink if he would advocate for increased funding for Amtrak’s long-distance network “to address outdated equipment and maintenance issues.” Fink said: “I am for Amtrak being a national network and supporting Amtrak as a national network.”
Robert A. Gleason Jr.
Gleason, a passenger rail advocate, is a former chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania and served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1987. He also served on one of the first state government committees to study high-speed rail. In 1982, Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh charged him and eight others to study the feasibility of constructing a high-speed passenger rail line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
POTUS 47 nominated Gleason for a seat on the 10-member Amtrak Board, which sets policy and spending priorities and approves hiring and firing of senior staff. In December, Democrats David Michael Capozzi and Elaine Marie Clegg, and Republicans Ronald L. Batory and Lanhee J. Chen were confirmed for five-year terms to the Board. As reported by Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner: Capozzi filled a newly created seat designated for an advocate of the disabled. Clegg succeeded Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, whose term expired. Batory took the seat of departed Christopher R. Beall. Chen took the seat of Jeffrey R. Moreland, whose term expired. They joined Board Chairman and Democrat Anthony R. Coscia, Democrat Christopher C. Koos, and Republican Joel Szabat. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy now serves as an ex officio Amtrak Board member. Prior to stepping down in March, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner was a Board member, but did not have a vote.
In prepared hearing testimony (download below), Gleason said his “passion for transportation and community development has been a lifelong journey,” rooted in government and personal experiences. “Growing up in Johnstown, Pa., I saw firsthand how transportation systems can either connect or isolate communities,” he said. In the first half of the 20th century, Johnstown “was connected to the rest of the world by the Pennsylvania Railroad,” he pointed out. “Trains with iconic names like the Red Arrow, Broadway Limited, Fort Pitt, and Clevelander, 25 daily passenger trains all stopped in Johnstown. I was a regular rail passenger traveling back and forth to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Our town was bypassed by the Interstate Highway System and most airlines overflew us. The region began a downward slide. As passenger train service dwindles, we are only served by two trains per day.”
This “personal understanding,” Gleason said, “drives my commitment to bringing better passenger rail service to small towns across America.”
Gleason said in his testimony that passenger rail can be “a powerful engine for growth,” as delivering rail projects “generates thousands of construction, engineering, and operational jobs.” Once operational, he said, “trains attract riders who spend money in local economies, especially near stations. Entire communities can be revitalized by the presence of reliable train service.” In short, he said, “when done right, passenger rail doesn’t just move people; it drives prosperity.”
If confirmed to the Amtrak Board, Gleason said he “will work diligently to improve and expand passenger rail service across America in a fiscally responsible manner,” and will support more Amtrak Board “transparency.”
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) was among those who questioned Gleason at the hearing. When Moran asked if he was committed to supporting long-distance passenger rail service, Gleason said, “absolutely,” noting that he has ridden the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco, as well as the Pacific Surfliner, and uses the Auto Train on a regular basis.
Sen. Andrew Kim (D-N.J.) asked Gleason about his thoughts on the Amtrak budget. “A lot will have to do with your [Congressional] support of Amtrak,” Gleason said. “You’re the ones who give us the money.” Kim pointed out that Congress does so in consultation with the Board. “Right,” Gleason said. “In the future, we should look into more private-public partnerships to get more revenue into Amtrak and expand it. I think there are a lot of ways to do it without just giving Amtrak taxpayers’ money.” When Kim asked if Gleason wanted to “come in and cut the [Amtrak] budget 20%, 30%, 40%,” Gleason responded: “Absolutely not.” He said he thinks “Amtrak and rail can be expanded a lot easier than building highways … Hopefully the support comes from the Senate, the government, to expand Amtrak.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) asked about a potential passenger rail expansion project in his home state: “Can you commit to working with my office and the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority to get service [connecting Reading, Pottstown and Phoenixville, Pa., with Philadelphia] operational by 2029?” Gleason said: “Absolutely. I’ve talked with the people in Reading for years; they’re just like Johnstown [Pa.].” Fetterman also asked Gleason if he “feels good” about the POTUS 47 Administration and passenger rail. “Yes, I feel good about it,” Gleason said. “There seems to be a lot of support amongst the Senators and a lot of people I’ve talked to. Younger people want to ride the rail now; Amtrak ridership is younger.”
Also participating in the May 13 hearing were David Fogel, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service; and Pierre Gentin, nominee for General Counsel of the Department of Commerce.
