Trump Administration To Fix D.C.’s Troubled Union Station
The Trump administration is moving to retake control of Washington, D.C.’s Union Station in a sweeping federal effort to restore and revitalize one of the nation’s busiest and most iconic rail hubs.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation will reclaim direct management over the historic station, saying the current oversight has failed to keep the facility clean, safe, and functional.
“We think we can manage the property better,” Duffy said during a press event. “We are going to make the investments to make sure this station isn’t dirty, and we don’t have homelessness in Union Station.”
A Strategic Shift in Capital Oversight
This is the latest in a series of moves by President Trump to reassert federal control over Washington, D.C., a city he has repeatedly criticized as poorly run by local leadership. Earlier this month, the White House deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the capital and assumed control over the D.C. police department—steps met with resistance from local officials.
The administration’s plan also follows a high-profile leadership shakeup in March, when Trump forced Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner to resign as part of a broader overhaul of U.S. passenger rail operations.
While the Union Station facility is federally owned, it has for years been managed by a nonprofit partner, the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, in coordination with Amtrak. That arrangement is now being renegotiated. Duffy emphasized that formal action to confirm the department’s renewed control will come next month.
Infrastructure in Crisis
Union Station, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece completed in 1907, has become a symbol of urban decline. The station faces billions in deferred maintenance costs, from track and tunnel repairs to crumbling infrastructure and parking facility needs. Crime and homelessness have surged in recent years, including a fatal shooting in a station parking garage earlier this year.
Duffy made clear the goal is to attract new investment, draw in higher-value tenants, and restore public confidence in the facility. “This isn’t a power play—it’s a practical one,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance visited National Guard troops at the station last week as part of ongoing federal security efforts. Guard personnel have been stationed at key points in the city, including Union Station, since mid-August.
Shift in Long-Term Planning
The Biden administration had previously awarded the station a $24 million grant in late 2024, and had backed a massive $10 billion redevelopment proposal. That plan is now being scrapped. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury confirmed a new blueprint is being developed by the Trump team.
Meanwhile, Amtrak on Wednesday debuted its new Acela high-speed trains on the Northeast Corridor, connecting Boston and Washington. The new models are capable of reaching speeds of 160 mph, though current infrastructure only permits those speeds on limited stretches.
Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is the busiest rail route in the U.S., accounting for 800,000 daily trips and roughly one-fifth of the nation’s total economic activity.
Broader Federal Rail Overhaul
Union Station is not the only major hub under new federal scrutiny. In April, the Department of Transportation also stripped New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority of its lead role in the Penn Station Reconstruction project. Amtrak, under federal guidance, will now take charge of that effort in midtown Manhattan.
Despite Trump’s earlier push to reduce Amtrak’s funding, his administration has signaled support for “appropriate” investment moving forward. Amtrak received $2.4 billion in federal funding in 2023 and the same amount again in 2024. Last year, the company set a record for passenger ridership.