Transportation Department to run Union Station, improve commercial prospects

The Trump administration on Wednesday said it plans to take managerial control of Union Station to unlock the historic station’s commercial potential.

The Department of Transportation said reinvestment and better security will “dramatically improve the income from the station, and will also open the door for more private investment.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the move was to counteract prolonged neglect at the train hub.

“Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair,” Mr. Duffy said in a statement. “By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful.”

The nonprofit Union Station Redevelopment Corp. has largely been in charge of the station’s upkeep and management, despite the federal government owning the building since the 1980s.

The DOT wants to improve the station’s economic outlook in order to fund facility upgrades and repairs.