Transportation Department takes back control of Union Station

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday said his agency would reclaim management of Washington Union Station. The train hub had fallen into disrepair, he said. The station needed a new roof and improvements to elevators, lighting, and security measures, according to the Transportation Department. Duffy said he wanted to make the station beautiful and one of the best in the world.

Who controls the station now? The Transportation Department has owned Washington Union Station since the early 1980s, but has gradually lost direct control of much of it due to agreements and leases, the department said. The Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, or USRC, doesn’t receive enough revenue from its control of the station’s parking area to keep the historic building in good repair. Amtrak recently acquired a sublease from USRC that would allow its retail revenue to be used for infrastructure improvements to the station, according to the Transportation Department.

The Transportation Department planned to improve the station’s security measures and develop more commercial opportunities there, in hopes of attracting more private investors and more revenue for the station project. The department was renegotiating its agreements with USRC and Amtrak and would formally make changes in September, it said.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the National Guard’s recent authorization to carry weapons in Washington, D.C. during a crime crackdown.