By Railfan & Railroad Staff

President-elect Donald Trump named David Fink, former president of Pan Am Railways, the next administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration on Saturday, pending Senate confirmation. 

Fink is the son of the late David A. Fink, who teamed up with Timothy Mellon in the 1980s to acquire the Maine Central, Boston & Maine, and Delaware & Hudson to form the Guilford Rail System (later to become Pan Am Railways after Mellon purchased the failed airline’s name). Mellon was also a major contributor to the Trump campaign. 

“I am proud to announce that Highly Respected David Fink, a fifth generation Railroader, will be the next Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA),” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform owned by Trump Media. “David will bring his 45+ years of transportation leadership and success, which will deliver the FRA into a new era of safety and technological innovation. Under David’s guidance, the Federal Railroad Administration will be GREAT again. Congratulations to David!”

David Fink begin his career at General Motors in the 1980s and joined his father’s railroad in 1998. He became president in 2006 and stayed on until 2022 when the regional railroad was acquired by CSX Transportation.