The Trump administration is moving to take control of Union Station, putting Washington’s iconic rail hub at the heart of federal assertive infrastructure control.

Trump Administration Plans Takeover Of Union Station In DC

The U.S. Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean P. Duffy, announced today that it will assume management of Union Station through a new cooperative agreement with Amtrak and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation. The goal is to revitalize the aging station with upgrades like new elevators, improved lighting, and a replaced roof—efforts long overdue. The Federal Railroad Administration, which has owned Union Station for 44 years and is also a federal agency, will oversee the transition.

This move follows President Trump’s recent federal takeover of D.C. policing, complete with National Guard deployments and high-visibility operations around the station, a clear escalation in federal oversight across the capital.

Union Station has struggled with deferred maintenance, safety concerns, and a spike in homelessness. While Amtrak has taken steps using eminent domain to reclaim retail space and reopened a platform to improve flow, the hub has been in slow decline amid half-empty retail corridors and outdated infrastructure. Federal spending of up to $29 million has been earmarked for repairs as part of this shift.

Under President Trump and Secretary Duffy’s leadership, USDOT will now leverage the valuable commercial aspects of Union Station, under the direct management of USRC, to reinvest in Union Station. The capital needs of Union Station include improvements to elevators, lighting, and security along with enhancements to the passenger experience and replacing the roof and other major systems.

Duffy framed the move as a necessary intervention to protect a key piece of infrastructure. It positions the federal government not just as regulator, but as direct operator—mirroring its involvement in other iconic stations like New York’s Penn Station. Today also marks the launch of Amtrak’s next-generation Acela high-speed train, which will operate between Washington and Boston.

> Read More: Amtrak Acela First Class New York – Washington Review

Federal troops have been posted in and around Union Station since President Trump’s takeover of city policing on August 11, 2025.

Union Station Is Special To Me…

I lived in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill and frequently used Union Station for Metro, Amtrak, and MARC service. That was almost 20 years ago now, during the station’s heyday…it was a safe and bustling place then, without a homeless infestation. I enjoyed many meals and many trips from this station.

Speaking of Washington, DC, I don’t support federal troops in the District, and it is not because I hate Trump or deny there is a crime problem. Rather, it’s because I’ve traveled to places where the military is everywhere…in Russia, Belarus, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. These are not free nations and as I read it, the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act prevents this sort of action, regardless of intentions, even in the federal district. We see in El Salvador that people are very happy to sacrifice some civil liberties to be safe…it’s a natural human tendency…but if everything is an “emergency” then nothing is an emergency. As we saw during the pandemic, emergencies cannot run for years (by definition)….and fears over a “slow-moving coup” are not the delusion of the left wing, but a reasonable concern of all people who value the Constitution (listen to yesterday’s cabinet meeting…)

For now, I’m watching all of this unfold, wondering when and why “conservatives” started embracing the federal government taking such an active role in managing the economy. I thought the appeal of this movement was one based on the notion of limited government and free trade…

In any case, Duffy promises a new and improved Union Station for DC residents in the weeks ahead.

CONCLUSION

This takeover of Union Station marks another turning point: infrastructure rehabilitation or federal overreach? For travelers and rail advocates, it may finally mean long-awaited safety fixes and modernization. For critics, it’s a stark reminder of expanding federal power in public life. Whether the takeover brings welcome renewal or simply federal control dressed as improvement…only time will tell.