Union Station - Washington, D.C.
** Union Station Photo by Mark Piotrowski
MAIN PAGE
Welcome to our Union Station Information Pages. These
pages are provided as a public service by Washington,
D.C. Chapter NRHS to fill a gap in information
available to the general public, travelers, and historians
about the station. While we are not officially affiliated
with any company or service provider at the station, we are
very proud of the rich
heritage of the station and its revitalization. Many of our
Chapter trips originate
in the station. The station, which was restored in
1988 at a cost of over 160 Million Dollars, is in the heart
of the city just a few short blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
Besides serving as the transportation hub for downtown Washington,
a variety of shopping, dining, and services are available
at the station, in style
Many of the train trips and excursions that the DCNRHS operates originate at Union station. Please visit our trips page for details on current and up coming trips.
If you are looking for specific information
regarding travel, services, or history, save yourself some
time by reading carefully all information on the web site
before asking us via e-mail. The information/answers
to all but the most unusual questions are already provided
here for you.
| NOTE: After the attack on America on September
11, security at Union Station has been tightened. There
has also been an increase in the number of people traveling
by train both on local commuter routes and intercity via
Amtrak. Please allow extra time for your journey and have
a photo id available when purchasing tickets. |
A
Brief History of Union Station
Washington,
D.C.'s Union Station was built jointly by the Pennsylvania
(PRR) and Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroads on an area
of swampland near the U.S. Capitol Building. The station,
designed by architect Daniel Burnham, opened with the arrival
of a B&O Railroad passenger train from Pittsburgh on October
27, 1907. A magnificent gateway to our nation's capital, the
station has served the needs of the traveling public continuously
since that year.
Besides the B&O and PRR, the station also
served the Chesapeake & Ohio, Southern, Richmond, Fredericksburg,
and Potomac (RF & P), Atlantic Coast Line, and Seaboard
Railroads. During World War II as many as 100,000 passengers
a day passed through the station.
During the 1980's the station underwent a major
renovation, costing over $160 Million Dollars. Completed
in 1988, the effort restored the station's grandeur and remade
it into a transportation, shopping, and dining megaplex.
Some additional historical information is available
here.
Additional photos of Union Station can be found here
and here.
** Photo by J. Lilly
Amtrak E-60 Electric Locomotive at Union
Station
Amtrak E-60 at Union Station
** E-60 Photo by James W. Lilly
Amtrak E-60 electric engine #603 waits on Track
27 for a northbound train on May 20, 1997. Union Station
is the location where many Amtrak trains traveling outside
the Northeast Corridor change from electric to diesel and
vice versa. The Amtrak line from Washington, D.C. to New
York City and Boston is electrified with overhead catenary
as seen in this photo.
Additional photos of Union Station trains
can be found in our Rail/Train
Photos section.
Travel in style & comfort for
a change! Charter a private Pullman passenger
railroad car for your next intercity trip.
Visit our
web site
or call 610-429-5858.
|
NOTE: While we strive to maintain the
accuracy and quality of information on this page by updating
it frequently, from time to time some information may be obsolete
because of changes made by the service providers at Union
Station, over which we have no control. The Washington,
D.C. Chapter NRHS does not endorse any product or service
mentioned here or receive any compensation for the listings
provided except the Chapter and our Pullman DOVER HARBOR.
*Photo by J. Lilly
