Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that the federal government is taking control of Washington’s Union Station from Amtrak, a move he framed as part of a wider effort to restore safety and “beauty” to the nation’s capital.
The announcement came just before Duffy joined Amtrak President Roger Harris at Union Station for the unveiling of the NextGen Acela, the company’s new high-speed train.
Duffy said the station, located blocks from the U.S. Capitol, had “fallen into disrepair” when it should be “a point of pride” for the city. Reclaiming management, he said, would allow the administration to upgrade the hub “at a fraction of the cost.”
Echoing President Donald Trump, Duffy told reporters: “He wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again. And he wants our nation’s capital to be great again. And today is part of that.”
Trump has asked Congress for $2 billion to fund a citywide beautification initiative, part of a broader federal intervention that has included deploying thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents to Washington. The president has claimed violent crime has “strangled” the city, though local police data shows crime has declined in recent years.
National Guard patrols have extended to Union Station since the crackdown began earlier this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were heckled by opponents when they toured the site last week.
Duffy had previously pressed Amtrak over crime and safety concerns in a March letter to its leadership, requesting a plan to improve conditions at the hub. On Wednesday, he pledged to transform Union Station into a “world-class transit center” as part of the administration’s agenda.
