DOT to Assume Management of Union Station from Amtrak

Transportation officials announced on Wednesday that the Department of Transportation will assume management of Union Station in Washington, D.C., taking control away from Amtrak. The move, described as necessary to restore a flagging city landmark, will involve renegotiating a cooperative agreement with the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Amtrak. DOT officials said the goal is to transform Union Station into a world-class transit hub by investing in elevators, lighting, security, the passenger experience and roof repairs, while reclaiming the station’s commercial potential at a lower cost to taxpayers.

The department said it has owned Union Station since the early 1980s, but that Amtrak took on primary responsibility for management, retail operations and the station’s commercial office space last year. Amtrak’s involvement came amid a broader, long-running redevelopment effort for Union Station, including a multibillion-dollar project that has spanned more than a decade. The DOT’s plan signals a shift back toward direct federal supervision of operations at a site that serves Amtrak, MARC, VRE, Metro and Greyhound, and which historically functioned as a major...