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Union Station is a
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. It was renamed to simply "Union Station" in 1982 following the closure of the National Visitor Center.
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
1st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
{{Authority control Stations on the Red Line (Washington Metro) Washington Metro stations in Washington, D.C. Railway stations in the United States opened in 1976 1976 establishments in Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill Railway stations located underground in Washington, D.C. Near Northeast (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ...
station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, on the Red Line. The station is located in the Northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
quadrant of the city under the western end of Washington Union Station
Washington Union Station, known locally as Union Station, is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's second-busiest station and North ...
, the main train station for Washington. With a daily average of 12,202 tapped entries in 2024, it was the busiest station in the system.
Station layout
Like the other original stations of the Metro, Union Station sportscoffer
A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault.
A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, al ...
ed vaults of concrete in its ceiling. One end of the station has a lowered "box" cut out of the ceiling. The station features an island platform
An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
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. The station features escalators with the elevator between them as seen at Addison Road and North Bethesda between the mezzanine and platform.
History
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. It was renamed to simply "Union Station" in 1982 following the closure of the National Visitor Center.
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
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...
cavern, while other riders liked the brightened stations and cleaner feels that resulted from the white paint.
Between January 15 to January 21, 2021, the station was closed because of security concerns due to the 2020 Inauguration.
The street-level entrance on First Street, built into the existing retaining wall, was rebuilt to accessible-compliant standards, adding more space for extra fare gates and connections between the platform and track level. 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. There have been plans to incorporate the abandoned tunnel into future station planned improvements.
References
External links
1st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
{{Authority control Stations on the Red Line (Washington Metro) Washington Metro stations in Washington, D.C. Railway stations in the United States opened in 1976 1976 establishments in Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill Railway stations located underground in Washington, D.C. Near Northeast (Washington, D.C.)