About
Ken Briers
Ken Briers
Ken was elected to the RPA Board in 1988, including two years as Board Chair as well as service as an RPA Council member.
He also brings on board 18 years as a working railroader, as a conductor and locomotive engineer on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, and over 20 as a design consultant for railroad infrastructure projects.
He has also served with:
- The Washington Railway Engineering Society: Past President and current Secretary.
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen: Local Division Secretary, President, and State Legislative Board Chairman.
- Virginia Rail Policy Institute: Fellow and member of the Executive Committee.
- IEEE/ASME Land Transportation Committee-Washington, DC: Secretary.
- Penn Central Retired Employees Association, Number 5 (Baltimore-Washington): Treasurer.
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.