WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced on Wednesday, Aug. 27, that the Department of Transportation is reclaiming management of Washington Union Station. The announcement took place at the launch of the new Amtrak NextGen Acela trains, which will serve the Northeast Corridor route.
“Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair. By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost,” Secretary Duffy said.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference that the station is in need of repairs costing more than $8 billion — and the city cannot afford to shoulder this cost.
“If it’s just about management, I would consider that Step 1,” Bowser said. “If it’s about what Union Station needs for its total transformation, that would be an amazing initiative for the federal government to take on.”
Though Bowser spoke positively overall of the transition, there is some factual disparity with the characterization of Union Station by Duffy and earlier by Vice President J.D. Vance as being the “epicenter of crime” and being populated by the chronically homeless. No homeless encampment has been at Union Station since 2022, when they were cleared by the National Park Service and a no-camping zone was established. Businesses have also been returning to Union Station in record numbers, and violent crime in D.C. hit a 30-year low in 2024.
Union Station is a popular hub for Southern Maryland residents traveling by bus or train to cities on the East Coast. Common destinations are cities on the Northeast Corridor route, such as Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Travelers may see an increased federal presence at the station and should check travel requirements close to their departure; more updates are expected as the federal government transitions the station over.
Southern Maryland’s Park & Ride routes are operated by the Maryland Transit Authority and will likely not be directly affected by the changes in control over Union Station. Park & Ride routes have drop-off locations in metro D.C. but do not go directly to Union Station.
The Department of Transportation has owned Washington Union Station since the early 1980s, but its control has steadily decreased over time. Prior to this announcement, Amtrak was responsible for management of the station, having taken it over from local nonprofit Union Station Redevelopment Corp. in 2024.
According to Amtrak, the station serves around 70,000 passengers a day on more than 200 daily trains. Amtrak will continue to manage the train and bus operations at the station, while the government handles the building’s security, infrastructure and revenue-building activities.
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8 billion in repairs…