This station is extremely important for regional transport through the District of Columbia. However, its ownership and management structure are complex.
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WASHINGTON – The DC Main Transit Hub is the next stop on the White House’s mission to control the country’s capital.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said on August 27 that his agency will “return the Washington Union Station to federal authorities” as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce crime and cleanse the city.
The move is yet another extension of the president’s power over DC, and has long ruled itself.
Here’s what you need to know about Union Station’s federal acquisition:
Why the acquisition?
Duffy said the federal government wants to make Union Station “beautiful again.”
At a press conference to announce the new Acera’s high-speed Amtrak train, Duffy explained that the train station was “ignored” and needed a makeover. He said the federal acquisition aims to clean it up and bring new business.
“We will invest in making sure this station is clean. There are no homeless people at Union Station,” he said.
“We believe we can manage our property better,” Duffy said.
Who runs Union Station? it’s complicated.
Union Station’s governance structure is complex, but includes a combination of federal government, private and nonprofit organizations.
The Department of Transport, specifically the Federal Railway Administration, located within the dot, owns the hub. It is leased by a nonprofit organization called the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation.
According to the company, Amtrak, which provides urban visitor rail services across the United States, will work with USRC to oversee the real estate and “responsible for day-to-day management and operations.” In the summer of 2024, the judge allowed Amtrak to take control of the station more strongly through the prominent domain.
The Transportation Bureau said on August 27 it was renegotiating a cooperation agreement between USRC and Amtrak. The agency says it will announce “formal action” in September to confirm the station’s updated management.
Union Station: 70,000 passengers per day
Union Station is the second busiest hub on Amtrak’s national network, carrying 5.6 million passengers each year. According to the company, around 70,000 people pass Union Station every day.
The station also links rail services to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metro and local bus lines and commuter railroads to Maryland and Virginia.
“It’s very beautiful.”
Michael Curtin, 25, said he likes to travel around Union Station and never felt unsafe.
“There’s beautiful architecture,” he said, noting the building’s barrel-shaped ceiling and dozens of Romanesque statues. “I think it’s very beautiful.”
Antonio Cruz, 58, says Union Station hasn’t changed over the past 20 years and is hoping to see some renovations, especially in the bathroom.
“I think you can use a makeover,” said Cruz, who travels from New York City to the capital several times a year.
