by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:55 AM ET, Wed August 27, 2025
The Trump Administration has expressed interest in bringing Washington DC’s Union Station under the control of the U.S. Department of Transportation in an announcement made ahead of Amtrak’s launch of its new high-speed NextGen Acela trainsets.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy attended the launch event of the new Acela trainsets on August 27, celebrating the new American-built locomotives and announcing the new plan for Union Station.
The USDOT is calling for the Union Station to be revitalized through “strong direction,” which would come from being managed by the Department of Transportation. The USDOT claims the station has a problem with crime and requires maintenance.
The news follows the Trump Administration’s takeover of Washington, DC, federalizing national guard troops to patrol the station and the city’s streets due to widely conflated arguments about crime.
“With these new Acela trainsets, Amtrak will provide more reliable service and lower prices for the American people – all while increasing the organization’s profitability,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “But we’re not stopping there. Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair. By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost.”
Just last week, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were booed and jeered at inside Union Station by protestors against the takeover.
Trump also demanded last week that Congress find $2 billion to “beautify” Washington, D.C. as part of his takeover of the capital city.
Under a new agreement, which is expected to be finalized by September, the USDOT and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation will allow retail income to be reinvested back into the station, and “unlock opportunities for private investment.”
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