Washington Union Station

Washington Union Station, known locally as Union Station, is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's headquarters, the railroad's second-busiest station, and North America's 10th-busiest railroad station. The station is the southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, an electrified rail line extending north through major cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, and the busiest passenger rail line in the nation. In 2015, it served just under five million passengers.[7]

Quick facts: Union Station Washington, DC, General informa... ▼

Union Station Washington, DC
Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express station
Union Station in 2015
General information
Location	50 Massachusetts Avenue NE Washington, D.C. United States
Coordinates	38°53′50″N 77°00′23″W
Owned by	United States Department of Transportation (station building and parking) Washington Terminal Company/Amtrak (platforms and tracks)[1] Union Station Redevelopment Corp. leased to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation[2]
Operated by	Jones Lang LaSalle
Line(s)	Amtrak Northeast Corridor CSX RF&P Subdivision
Platforms	18
Tracks	22
Train operators	Amtrak, MARC, VRE
Bus stands	located on the mezzanine level[3]
Bus operators	WMATA Metrobus DC Circulator Maryland MTA Commuter Bus Loudoun County Commuter Bus PRTC Buses Greyhound Lines Megabus Peter Pan Bus Lines Washington Deluxe BestBus OurBus
Connections	at Union Station DC Streetcar at Union Station Metropolitan Branch Trail
Construction
Parking	2,448 spaces
Bicycle facilities	180
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: WAS
IATA code	ZWU
Fare zone	1 (VREX)
History
Opened	1908
Rebuilt	1981–1989
Electrified	January 28, 1935[4] (ceremonial) February 10, 1935[5] (regular service)
Passengers
FY 2021	1,758,409[6] (Amtrak only)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Terminus Acela BWI Airport toward Boston South Vermonter New Carrollton toward St. Albans Rockville toward Chicago Capitol Limited Terminus Alexandria toward Chicago Cardinal Baltimore toward New York Alexandria toward Charlotte Carolinian Alexandria toward Miami Silver Meteor Silver Star Alexandria toward New Orleans Crescent BWI Airport toward New York Alexandria toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional New Carrollton toward Boston South or Springfield Alexandria toward Savannah Palmetto New Carrollton toward New York Preceding station MARC Following station Silver Spring towards Martinsburg or Frederick Brunswick Line Terminus Terminus Camden Line Riverdale towards Camden Station Penn Line New Carrollton towards Perryville Preceding station Virginia Railway Express Following station L'Enfant toward Broad Run Manassas Line Terminus L'Enfant toward Spotsylvania Fredericksburg Line
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Terminus Chesapeake Capital Beltway toward Philadelphia–Suburban Alexandria toward Tri-State Hilltopper New Carrollton toward Boston South Terminus Metroliner Capital Beltway toward New York Silver Spring toward Cincinnati (River Road) Shenandoah Terminus Terminus National Limited Capital Beltway toward Kansas City Montrealer Capital Beltway toward Montreal Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Takoma toward Chicago Main Line Riverdale toward Jersey City University toward Chicago Langdon toward Jersey City Preceding station Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Following station Alexandria toward Cincinnati Main Line Terminus Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station Terminus Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Landover toward Philadelphia Preceding station Southern Railway Following station Alexandria toward Birmingham Main Line Terminus Preceding station Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Following station Seventh Street toward Richmond: Broad Street or Main Street Main Line Terminus
Washington D.C. Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Built	1908
Architect	D.H. Burnham & Company (William Pierce Anderson, Daniel Burnham)
Architectural style	Classical, Beaux-Arts, among others
NRHP reference No.	69000302
Designated	March 24, 1969

An intermodal facility, Union Station also serves MARC and VRE commuter rail services, the Washington Metro, the DC Streetcar, intercity bus lines, and local Metrobus buses. It carries the IATA airport code of ZWU.[8]

At the height of its traffic, during World War II, as many as 200,000 passengers passed through the station in a single day.[9] In 1988, a headhouse wing was added and the original station renovated for use as a shopping mall. As of 2014, Union Station was one of the busiest rail facilities and shopping destinations in the United States, visited by over 40 million people a year.[10] However, the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors caused a sharp decline in retail and dining; by late 2022, more than half its commercial space was vacant,[11] but Amtrak is attempting to regain control of the station and plans a major renovation and expansion.[12][13]