They are just stupid

DOT secretary says agency will ‘take over’ Washington’s Union Station, building it already owns

Sean Duffy said his agency will look to "manage" Union Station better, including exploring private-sector involvement.

By Pavan Acharya

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that the Transportation Department will move to exert “renewed control” over Washington’s Union Station, saying the soaring train depot just blocks from the U.S. Capitol has become known “more as a center for vagrancy than a hub for commerce and travel.”

“We’re going to take Union Station back under DOT control,” Duffy said during a press conference related to Amtrak’s new high-speed trains Wednesday morning. He added that it’s “not a power play. We’ve always had it, but we think we can manage the property better.”

Though Duffy’s pitch is aimed at cleaning up crime, homelessness and grime, the real prize for President Donald Trump, who has been eager to redevelop all manner of federal properties, may be what’s buried in DOT’s accompanying announcement — a desire to “leverage [Union Station’s] valuable commercial aspects.”

Duffy said he believes DOT’s takeover will increase the station’s income and entice more development and investments in the building as a result. In its reasoning for the change, DOT said it expects “improved security” will also play a role in drawing in more private investors for a “potential expansion of the station.”

Union Station is owned by the Federal Railroad Administration, a subagency of DOT. For many years, the station’s retail concessions were leased to a private company. Last year, Amtrak, which operates a hub at Union Station, seized that contract through eminent domain, with an eye toward moving forward an ambitious $7 billion plan to redevelop the station, including residential and office space and even a hotel. But that plan was never formally capitalized.

The department plans to renegotiate its agreement with the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. and also with Amtrak, which currently also operates as a lessor at the depot.

Amtrak did not immediately respond to a request for comment. USRC referred comments to DOT.

Duffy said he wants people to come to a Union Station that is “gorgeous, it’s beautiful, it’s safe, it’s a great experience.” The department specifically pointed out the station’s roof and security measures as areas for improvement.

Union Station has already taken center stage in the Trump administration’s larger effort to take over policing in the nation’s capital, including armed National Guard stationed there and sometimes military vehicles parked outside. And last week, the administration sent Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller to the station for a photo-op that was promptly interrupted by a sea of protesters.

Members of the National Guard — from both Washington and several red states — have been stationed at various transit hubs around the city. As of last week, troops were patrolling at least 10 local metro stops throughout the city, according to the Army.

DOT’s new control isn’t official yet. The agency said that formal action is expected next month.