Union Station (Washington Metro)

Coordinates: 38°53′52″N 77°00′24″W / 38.897723°N 77.006745°W / 38.897723; -77.006745
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Union Station
A Red Line train leaving the station in 2010
General information
Location701 1st Street NE
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°53′52″N 77°00′24″W / 38.897723°N 77.006745°W / 38.897723; -77.006745
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Bicycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare, 23 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeB03
History
OpenedMarch 27, 1976; 47 years ago (March 27, 1976)
Previous namesUnion Station–Visitor Center (March 27, 1976 - January 21, 1982)[1]
Passengers
20239,848 daily[2]
Rank3 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Judiciary Square Red Line NoMa–Gallaudet U
toward Glenmont
Former Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Judiciary Square Green Line Commuter Shortcut Rhode Island Avenue
toward Greenbelt
Location
Map

Union Station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Red Line. It has a single underground island platform.

The station is located in the Northeast quadrant of the city under the western end of Union Station, the main train station for Washington, where connections can be made to Amtrak intercity trains, as well as Virginia Railway Express and MARC commuter rail trains to suburbs in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.

The station was originally named "Union Station–Visitor Center" but was renamed to simply "Union Station" in 1982 following the closure of the National Visitor Center.[3] One or two pylons still read "Union Station-Visitor Center", and a number of older stations still display this name on signage.

Service began on March 27, 1976, with the opening of the Red Line. With a daily average of 9,848 tapped entries, Union Station is the third-busiest in the system, behind Metro Center and Foggy Bottom–GWU.

History[edit]

After groundbreaking in 1969, the station opened as Union Station-Visitor Center (National Visitor Center) on March 27, 1976, with the rest of the Red Line.

Union Station had dirtier walls than most stations as trains brought in soot from diesel engines in Union Station, resulting in a dimmer station. In March 2017, it was announced the station would be painted white at a cost of $75,000–$100,000. This sparked a debate amongst riders, as preservationists did not like the irrevocable act of painting the brutalist cavern, while other riders liked the brightened stations and cleaner feels that resulted from the white paint.[4]

Between January 15 to January 21, 2021, this station was closed because of security concerns due to the 2020 Inauguration.[5]

Future improvements[edit]

The street-level entrance on First street, built into the existing retaining wall, will be rebuilt to accessible-compliant standards, adding more space for extra fare gates and connections between the platform and track level.[6] During initial construction of the station, a 600-foot (180-meter) pedestrian tunnel was constructed between the north mezzanine and H Street NE. However, prior to the station's opening, the tunnel was boarded up and the space is now used by WMATA to store equipment.[7] There have been plans to incorporate the abandoned tunnel into future station planned improvements.

Station layout[edit]

Like the other original stations of the Metro, Union Station sports coffered vaults of concrete in its ceiling.[8] One end of the station has a lowered "box" cut out of the ceiling. The station features an island platform with two exits, one mid-platform mezzanine leading to the main hall of Union Station and Massachusetts Avenue and the one northern exit leading to 1st Street NE and to the main boarding concourse.

S Street level Exit/entrance, buses, rail connections at Union Station
T
Platform level
Westbound toward Shady Grove (Judiciary Square)
Island platform
Eastbound toward Glenmont (NoMa–Gallaudet U)

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority #82-04". American Legal Publishing. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority #82-04". American Legal Publishing. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. ^ "Metro decision to paint Union Station vault rubs some the wrong way". Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "Metro announces Inauguration service plans, station closures | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Repetski, Stephen (July 11, 2017). "The Union Station Metro entrance on First Street is getting a makeover". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Fehr, Stephen (December 10, 1993). "New Metro Entrance Planned for Busy Union Station". The Washington Post. pp. C05.
  8. ^ Construction: Tunnels

External links[edit]