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President Donald Trump’s administration announced Wednesday it is taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak, the latest in a series of federal actions asserting control over the District of Columbia.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris, said the change would restore the historic 1907 landmark to “a point of pride” for the capital. The announcement came during the rollout of Amtrak’s new high-speed NextGen Acela service.
“He wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again. And he wants our nation’s capital to be great again,” Duffy said of Trump.
A broader federal push in D.C.
The takeover is part of Trump’s wider effort to assert direct federal authority in Washington. In recent weeks, the administration has deployed thousands of National Guard members, expanded the presence of federal immigration agents, and assumed oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department. Last week, Trump asked Congress for $2 billion to beautify the capital.
Union Station — owned by the federal government and located just blocks from the Capitol — has long been plagued by issues of safety, homelessness, and deferred maintenance. National Guard troops have patrolled the station since the president’s latest anti-crime initiative began.
When Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Union Station with federal troops last week, protesters shouted them down, underscoring the tension surrounding the federal intervention.
Plans for upgrades
Duffy argued that federal management would help attract more shops, restaurants, and private investment to fund improvements. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury cited more than $170 million in needed upgrades, including a new roof and public restrooms.
Amtrak will remain a tenant, but no longer the primary manager. Harris emphasized the debut of Amtrak’s new trains, which can reach 160 mph, about 10 mph faster than the existing Acela. Officials boarded one of the sleek new trains for an inaugural ride to New York after the announcement.
Local response
Mayor Muriel Bowser cautiously welcomed the federal takeover, saying Washington lacked the resources to fund a full renovation.
“It has suffered from not being able to get the money that it needs for the renovation,” Bowser said at a separate news conference. She called a full-scale upgrade an “amazing initiative” if the administration follows through.
A station with a turbulent past
Union Station has endured multiple cycles of decline and rebirth over its nearly 120-year history. In 1981, the National Park Service declared the structure unsafe after rain poured through its ceilings, forcing a five-year closure. President Ronald Reagan later signed the Union Station Redevelopment Act to rescue the building.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt another blow, as passenger traffic plummeted and many shops closed. Though ridership has since rebounded, the building continues to struggle with crime, homelessness, and disrepair.
By assuming management, the Trump administration is betting it can stabilize and revitalize Union Station — while further cementing federal power in the city where tensions over governance have been escalating.
