History:
Union Station officially opened in 1907. It was busiest during the WWI and WWII time periods. After WWII, plane and automobile travel took over railroads as the sole means of transportation. This led to Union Station closing down in 1968. From 1976-1981, Union Station was a visitor center, but failed to bring in enough people. The visitor center closed down in 1981, and plans for restoration began. A public/private partnership funded the restoration of Union Station per legislation enacted by Congress in 1981. As of 2013, 32 million passengers, tourists, and shoppers pass through the station yearly. Union Station is the second busiest station in the Amtrak network, which is why it needs to be expanded.
Master Plan:
The Union Station Redevelopment Corportation is working with the Union Station Management, Amtrak, and Akridge to expand and imrpove the intermodal station so that it can accomodate three times as many passengers. The Master Plan for this project contains
four phases that will span over the next 15-20 years.
Phase One - Immeadiate Action: Began in 2013 and will be finished in 2017. Focuses on existing concourse improvements, metro access improvements, crew base relocation, new amenities and retail upgrades, and platform and accessibility upgrades.
Phase Two - East Side: Spanning from 2018-2022, this phase wil focus on east side thru track and platform reconstruction, 8 rebuilt tracks, new below grade parking, new taxi and bus facilities, and the first phase of air rights development completed.
Phase Three - West Side and Train Shed: From 2023-2028, remaining tracks and platforms will be constructed to modern configuration, the garage will be relocated and replaced with a train hall, new lower level and central concourses will be completed, air rights development will be completed, and a greenway will be constructed.
Phase Four - Future Capacity: From 2028 and beyond, rail capacity will be extended with new lower level tracks and platforms, extension of high speed rail to Virginia and SE Corridor can be implemented, and space will be created for additional retail and passenger amenities.
Project Benefits:
Union Station is the southern anchor of the Northeast Corridor and therefore the Master Plan is essential to realizing future high speed rail initiatives. The Master Plan improvements will have a long-lasting impact on the local and regional economy. $14 billion gross regional product will benefit Washington DC and Virginia, and the $8 billion in construction spending will generate 3,000 jobs per year. The Master Plan is a model of sustainable growth, urban infrastructure, and environmental preservation.
Union Station Master Plan
Washington, D.C.
Union Station Master Plan 46