2LT International News

NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. Transportation Department has announced plans to take back control of Washington’s Union Station, one of the country’s largest and busiest rail hubs. The move, ordered by President Donald Trump, is part of his broader push to expand federal authority in the capital, which he has often described as neglected and poorly managed.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking after arriving in New York by train, said the government could do a better job overseeing the station. “We think we can manage the property better,” he said. “We are going to make the investments to make sure that this station isn’t dirty and we don’t have homelessness in Union Station.”

Union Station, an iconic Beaux-Arts building that opened in 1907, is federally owned but has been managed by a nonprofit working with Amtrak for years. The station faces billions of dollars in overdue maintenance and significant upgrades to its tracks, parking facilities, and other infrastructure. It has also struggled with crime and homelessness, including a murder in a parking garage earlier this year.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser welcomed the decision, saying the city does not have the US$8 billion or more needed to renovate the terminal. She argued that the federal government should fund Union Station’s transformation.

Trump has recently asserted more control over the city, including deploying National Guard troops and taking charge of the local police department—moves that have angered local officials. He has also claimed, without evidence, that crime in Washington is spiraling out of control.

Duffy insisted the Union Station takeover was not a political “power play.” Instead, he said, it would focus on attracting new tenants and revenue to fund a major overhaul. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury added that the Biden administration’s $10 billion redevelopment plan for the station would be scrapped and replaced with a new strategy.

Amtrak, which carried a record number of passengers last year, unveiled new high-speed Acela trains on Wednesday for its busy Northeast Corridor route, which runs from Boston to Washington and accounts for about 20 percent of the U.S. economy.

The Transportation Department also announced that Amtrak will take over from New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority as lead on Penn Station’s reconstruction. Duffy revealed a $43 million federal grant to kick-start the multi-billion-dollar project and said a master developer would be named by May.

Despite Trump’s frequent attempts to cut Amtrak funding, Congress approved $2.42 billion for the service in March, keeping funding steady with recent years.