Former Amtrak and New Jersey Transit CEO George Warrington, age 55, died Dec. 24 following an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

During the 1970s, Warrington was employed by the New Jersey DOT to help create New Jersey Transit, a state entity that took over operation of commuter rail from Penn Central and other bankrupt private-sector railroads.

In 1980, he was named general manager of NJT rail operations, leaving in 1992 to become executive director of the Delaware River Port Authority.

From 1994 to 2002, Warrington was president of Amtrak, leaving to become CEO of NJT. He resigned in January 2007 to help form a consulting and lobbying business

Among his legacies is helping to convince New York politicians to back a multi-billion regional funding commitment to build a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River linking New Jersey with New York City to double the trans-Hudson rail capacity for NJT and Amtrak. Railway Age magazine editor William Vantuono called it, "The biggest news for New York commuters in 100 years."

UTU New Jersey State Legislative Director Dan O’Connell described Warrington as, "A friend of labor," adding, "He was a forceful advocate for rail. He will be missed."

Born in Bayonne, N.J., and raised in Ridgefield Park, Warrington was an avid New York Yankees and New York Rangers fan (he had a Rangers tattoo on his arm.). He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University.