$7 Billion Transformation of D.C.'s Union Station Proposed

You read that right...$7 billion. In a plan to be unveiled today, Amtrak is proposing to transform the second-busiest Amtrak station in the country into a hub for high-speed rail and redevelopment, report Jonathan O'Connell and Ashley Halsey III.

2 minute read

July 25, 2012, 12:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


So what does $7 billion in improvements buy? The ambitious plan, tantalizing renderings of which can be seen in a slideshow accompanying the article, would expand the overcrowded station dramatically in order to triple passenger capacity and double the number of trains the station can accommodate.

"Much of Union Station's expansion would come below ground, where
Amtrak plans to add new platforms, tracks and shopping, all of which
would enjoy natural light from a 50-foot-wide, 100-foot-long
glass-encased main concourse," note O'Connell and Halsey. The expansion would include the addition of six tracks dedicated to high-speed rail.

Planned to accompany the overhaul of the station is a $1.5 billion complex of offices, residential towers and a hotel to be built by developer Akridge. "The development,
to be constructed on a deck built over the tracks behind Union Station,
would link Capitol Hill to the NoMa neighborhood."

"Dubbed Burnham
Place after Union Station architect Daniel Burnham, the
3-million-square-foot project would include a rebuilt H Street bridge
and an expanded street grid that would welcome pedestrians to a large
new northern entrance to the station."

Sounds great, right? When does construction start, you ask? According to O'Connell and Halsey, "what the proposal lacks is a vision for financing the plan, which
even in stages probably would require huge government funding
commitments." 

Keep in mind, "the federal budget for all surface transportation in recent years has been about $54 billion."

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

4 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

5 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

6 hours ago - Bloomberg