$8.8 Billion Updated Expansion Plan for Washington DC’s Union Station Unveiled

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) this week released a revised concept for the redevelopment of Washington D.C.’s historic Union Station, which was first completed more than a century ago, in 1908. The proposed multi-billion-dollar expansion of the U.S. capital city’s historic multi-modal transit hub would represent its first major infrastructure improvement project since the 1990s.

As the lead federal agency on the project, the FRA released a nearly 300-page Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) late Friday, revealing the impact of the newly updated Preferred Alternative (Alternative F), and moving the requisite federal environmental studies and review processes closer to completion.

If approved, the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (WUSEP) would represent a massive undertaking that wouldn’t reach completion for close to two decades. Construction costs alone are estimated to come in at around $8.8 billion, and that’s not even including the assessment, approval and design phases, which alone are anticipated to take several years.

Ultimately, the proposed modernization project would see what is currently the country’s second-busiest intercity rail hub extensively transformed by the year 2040. Infrastructural enhancements would involve the addition of 30-foot-wide passenger platforms, a new train hall, updated concourses lined with retail outlets and eateries, and an integrated bus terminal, among other improvements. However, the station’s 115-year-old main hall, which was designated a historic landmark in 1964, would be preserved in its entirety.

The United Statues Capitol Building, Washington DC, USA. (photo via Tanarch / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

An earlier draft of the Union Station Expansion Project (USEP), a vision laid out three years ago and put on hold due to the pandemic, was criticized as being too car-centric for featuring the inclusion of a multi-level parking garage. This newly revised version (Alternative F) features far less real estate devoted to parking, and includes an underground pick-up and drop-off area, and more integrated bus, bike and pedestrian access.  

The Washington Union Station multi-modal transportation hub presently serves around 37 million riders in the D.C. Metro Area annually, and links together multiple forms of public transit, including: Amtrak intercity trains; the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) rail lines; the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail system; local and intercity bus services; the DC Streetcar network; and local for-hire vehicles, such as taxis and ride-share options.

Through this investment plan, DC Metro Area and railroad officials aim to modernize what they’ve called a critical gateway to the nation’s capital and provide greater passenger capacities for travelers across the busy Northeast Corridor. The Washington Post reported that the updated proposal is the Northeast Corridor region’s top contender for securing infrastructure development funding through a law signed by President Biden in 2021.

To that effect, 15 Congresspersons, including the entire National Capital Region delegation, last week sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging the prompt provision of robust funding and approval of an expedited timeline for the project. In a statement, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and her co-signees posited that the station’s proposed expansion would more than double its current capacity.

"Union Station is five blocks from the U.S. Capitol, serves as a transportation gateway to the District, and has historically welcomed more travelers per day than either Reagan National or Dulles International airports," Congresswoman Nortonsaid. "Additionally, Union Station serves as the backbone connecting East Coast rail lines to the north and south.” She added, “We cannot delay the project indefinitely and ensure the station continues to function, so we must urge the Biden administration to fund and expedite the project."

According to the FRA’s published fact sheet, the Washington Union Station Expansion Project stands to supply such benefits as:

• Projected long-term ridership growth (through 2040)  

— Amtrak: 95 percent

— MARC: 150 percent

— VRE: 250 percent

— Intercity Buses: 50 percent

• Enhanced multi-modal access and capacity
• More efficient train operations, easier boarding and American Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility
• More space for passenger circulation and improved experience, and emergency egress

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