President Donald Trump’s administration is stopping a long-planned Union Station expansion project dead in its tracks.
Instead, the Department of Transportation intends to pursue a new public-private partnership rather than move forward with a federally approved expansion plan approved under the Biden administration.
The announcement last week comes just months after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced $466 million for structural repairs, concourse expansion, security enhancements and other improvements at the station.
Now, the department is setting aside another $24 million to help develop a new vision for Union Station’s future through a public-private partnership.
鈥淥verhauling the historic Washington Union Station is a pivotal part of President Trump鈥檚 plan to make D.C. beautiful and safe. This is the gateway to our nation鈥檚 capital, it鈥檚 time its infrastructure reflect that,鈥� Duffy said in a news release last week.
The roughly $8.8 billion plan approved under the Biden administration had been years in the making and received final federal approval in 2024. It included bringing a new train hall, expanded tracks and platforms, a new bus terminal and other upgrades designed to accommodate future growth in rail travel. It also promised to increase the station’s passenger capacity significantly.
A spokesperson for the D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development told 草莓传媒, “Union Station is beautiful and deserves investment to increase capacity, improve safety, and be a great American regional transportation center and asset to the nation. This project has been a longtime priority because our world-class city deserves a train station of the same standard.”
Duffy said the new path forward would ensure long-term profitability for 鈥渢his gorgeous transportation monument鈥� while creating a public-private partnership to deliver upgrades and improve the passenger experience.
What’s still unclear is what a replacement plan will look like, how much it will cost, and whether it will deliver the same rail capacity envisioned under the discarded proposal.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 草莓传媒. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
