{"id":115425,"date":"2025-08-28T04:36:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T04:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/115425\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T04:36:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T04:36:05","slug":"trump-extends-control-over-washington-by-taking-management-of-union-station-away-from-amtrak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/115425\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump extends control over Washington by taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak"},"content":{"rendered":"

The secretary said Union Station, located within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol, had \u201cfallen into disrepair\u201d when it should be a \u201cpoint of pride\u201d for the city.<\/p>\n

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Transportation Secretary, DC mayor on the management of Union Station<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s administration is taking management of Union Station<\/a> away from Amtrak<\/a> in the latest example of the federal government exerting its power over the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy<\/a> announced the takeover Wednesday alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris at Washington\u2019s main transportation hub<\/a> during the launch of an updated version of the rail service\u2019s Acela train. The federal government owns Union Station, which is near the Capitol.<\/p>\n

Duffy said the station has \u201cfallen into disrepair\u201d when it should be a \u201cpoint of pride\u201d for the District of Columbia. He said the Republican administration\u2019s move would help beautify the landmark in an economical way and was in line with Trump\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again. And he wants our nation\u2019s capital to be great again. And today is part of that,\u201d Duffy said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Trump\u2019s latest attempt to put the city under his control<\/a>. In recent weeks, Trump has increased the number of federal law enforcement and immigration agents on city streets while also taking over the Metropolitan Police Department and activating thousands of National Guard members. Last week, Trump said he wants $2 billion from Congress<\/a> to beautify Washington.<\/p>\n

Duffy said the federal government can do a better job managing the train station and attract more shops and restaurants and generate more revenue that will be used to pay for upgrades to the station, which opened in 1907. Since then, the cavernous Roman-columned building has been through multiple management changes and numerous ups and downs regarding its cleanliness, safety and state of repair.<\/p>\n

Mayor Muriel Bowser said upgrading the transit hub that serves various rail lines and buses would be an \u201camazing initiative\u201d for the federal government to take on because the city cannot afford the cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has suffered from not being able to get the money that it needs for the renovation,\u201d the Democrat said at a separate news conference.<\/p>\n

National Guard troops have patrolled in and around Union Station ever since Trump announced the anti-crime effort this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were shouted down by opponents of the federal intervention when they visited with troops<\/a> there last week.<\/p>\n

Duffy had pressed Amtrak about crime at the station in a March letter to its chief operating officer and requested an updated plan on how it intended to improve public safety there.<\/p>\n

The deputy transportation secretary, Steve Bradbury, cited a new roof and new public restrooms among $170 million in upgrades that he said are needed at the station.<\/p>\n

Amtrak\u2019s new high-speed train, the NextGen Acela, will start serving the Northeast Corridor on Thursday, said Harris, Amtrak\u2019s president. The trains can travel at speeds of up to 160 mph, about 10 mph faster than the Acela train it is replacing. Duffy and the officials from the Union Station event boarded one of the new trains afterward for an inaugural ride to New York\u2019s Penn Station.<\/p>\n

Union Station has had a history of ups and downs during its nearly 120-year history.<\/p>\n

In 1981, after rain started pouring through the ceiling, the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over some of the area surrounding the station, declared the building unsafe. The station was closed for five years for renovation and President Ronald Reagan signed the Union Station Redevelopment Act<\/a> to help fund and organize its comeback.<\/p>\n

More recently, the building fell on relatively hard times during the COVID pandemic. Foot traffic plummeted after passengers shunned mass transit while multiple shops closed at the station. But the past three years have witnessed a bit of a comeback.<\/p>\n

The station has occasionally been a magnet for homeless individuals seeking shelter inside or camping in tents on Columbus Circle in front of the building. The proliferation of tents prompted the Park Service to clear the encampment in front of the station in June 2022.<\/p>\n

Control and management of the physical building also have shifted over the years.<\/p>\n

\u2014-<\/p>\n

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Copyright
\n \u00a9\u00a02025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Amtrak Police officers patrol Union Station, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station FILE – People walk to Union Station as District of Columbia National Guard soldiers stand outside their M-ATV, Aug. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station FILE – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy looks during a news conference, Aug. 5, 2025, at the Department of Transportation in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service en route to Boston, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service en route to Boston, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is escorted to board the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention Union Station Members of the National Guard are posted at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DC Federal Intervention District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a news conference, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jon Cherry) <\/p>\n

\n AP Photo\/Jon Cherry <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The secretary said Union Station, located within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol, had \u201cfallen into disrepair\u201d when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115426,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,40875,74991,12,74992,3,20444,74993,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":{"0":"post-115425","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-amtrak","10":"tag-dc-law-enforcement-surge","11":"tag-donald-trump","12":"tag-federal-surge","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-sean-duffy","15":"tag-union-station","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-of-america","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}