Image courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation

By KERRY SMITH BUCK 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced a $466 million investment in overhauling Washington Union Station.

The news was shared during an event celebrating the Dept. of Interior’s restoration of the Columbus Circle fountain.

The funding will:

• Fast-track critical structural repairs
• Enhance the passenger concourse, the Amtrak lounge and the ticketing experience
• Maximize the station’s revenue potential with retail, parking, office spaces, digital signage and more
• Improve security
• Invest in family-friendly infrastructure

These Washington Union Station grants are part of the Northeast Railroad Partnership Program to modernize the primary transportation hub of the Nation’s capital.

“President Trump is restoring our nation’s capital to its former glory at record speed,” said Duffy. “From basic structural repairs to beautiful, enlarged passenger concourses, today’s historic investment into Union Station will ensure Washington D.C. has a world-class transit hub that residents, commuters and tourists all deserve. We look forward to sharing more updates on this special project.”

The $465.8 million in federal funding will go toward projects to improve the overall customer experience while supporting both existing and future rail services without sacrificing the historic nature of the station in a way which would better integrate it into the surrounding neighborhoods. Specifically, this funding will address the numerous state of good repair issues including the replacement of the aging roof and making repairs to the parking garage and station interior. Funding will also provide for near-term improvements to the passenger concourse and customer experience.