Trump Admin to Take Over DC's Union Station

The Department of Transportation will take over management of Washington, D.C.'s train hub, Union Station, multiple outlets reported on Wednesday.

Union Station has been a focal point for the Trump administration's military deployment in D.C. Top members of the Trump administration — including Vice President Vance — bashed the station's management and cast it as crime-ridden at an Aug. 20 press conference.

"The Department of Transportation is taking historic action to reinvest in Union Station and restore it as a transportation hub that befits our nation's capital," White House spokesperson said in a statement.

The takeover will involve a cooperative agreement with Amtrak and the the nonprofit Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, which controls the station, per the Washington Post.

"Instead of being a point of pride, Washington's Union Station has fallen into disrepair," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. "By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost."

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Wednesday that while she didn't know the details of the takeover, the Union Station needed a "total transformation."

"That would be an amazing initiative for the federal government to take on," Bowser said.

In March, the White House ousted Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. Duffy highlighted safety concerns at Union Station at that time.

Last year, Amtrak launched an initiative to revitalize Union Station after a court gave it the right to take control of the management and operations of the station.

In 2022, the National Park Service cleared a homeless encampment outside Union Station in a move led by federal officials.