New Jersey Transit's chief says he will meet a Dec. 31 deadline for installing a required emergency braking system, despite federal regulators' singling the carrier out as the only railroad at risk of falling short and facing severe sanctions.

CEO Kevin Corbett even staked his job on making the cutoff, saying Wednesday if it's not completed, “you'll be talking to a new CEO.”

All U.S. railroads are required to have the system operating by the end of this month.

NJ Transit could face fines of more than $25,000 per day if it doesn't meet the deadline, and potentially be barred from running trains on tracks operated by Amtrak.

By DAVID PORTER, The Associated Press.