Washington, DC’s Union Station is one step closer to a long-needed comprehensive makeover, with the Federal Railroad Administration issuing its final environmental impact statement and record of decision on a plan to improve the facility’s rail infrastructure and improve operations while preserving the historic station. building
Currently estimated to cost $8.8 billion and take 13 years to develop, the preferred alternative calls for a new, modernized train hall and concourse with high ceilings and a vertical glass wall that provides a full view of the activity of the way The station’s existing railway track will be replaced by 12 end tracks on the west side and seven through tracks on the east side.
Other elements of the 53-hectare scheme include the addition of a new intercity bus terminal integrated above the train hall, an underground garage and pick-up and drop-off area and improved connectivity to the train hall, with concourses which provide improved internal circulation and various services. and amenities for passengers and visitors.
The non-profit Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) is named as the project sponsor and will be responsible for implementing the project through final design and construction, in coordination with Amtrak.
Originally built in 1908, Union Station serves as a major transportation hub for the Washington metropolitan area, serving more than 100,000 passengers annually on the Amtrak, Maryland and Virginia commuter rail systems, bus service Metrorail and Greyhound. An extensive $180 million renovation effort completed in September 1988 restored and rehabilitated the building, along with the addition of a new retail area, food court, and movie theater. A five-year, $20 million renovation of the space was completed in 2016 to improve building and structural systems and repair damage from a 2011 earthquake.
These efforts were not enough to stem a gradual decline in the fortunes of the commercial area, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the existing train concourse has long been insufficient to handle the growing passenger demand.
The redevelopment plan aims to support the current and long-term future growth of rail service by improving capacity, reliability, safety, efficiency, accessibility and safety, and the historic building of the station remains the “monumental” focal point of the installation.
To balance operational needs with the schedule of the redevelopment program, the preferred alternative provides for a four-phase construction process, during which a specified number of tracks and platforms are taken out of service and converted into an active construction zone , with shear walls and support. installed to withstand excavation and prevent groundwater infiltration. After excavation, the drilled shafts will provide deep foundations for the slabs that support the new tracks and the columns that support the deck on which the project elements would be erected. As construction moves into the next phase, elements of the project would be constructed at roof level.
The effort also poses numerous technical challenges. For example, the installation of new tracks and associated platforms will require the removal of more than half of the station’s existing 28 building support columns. Under the preferred alternative, this work will likely involve installing temporary towers and footings, demolishing the floor of the existing retail and ticketing hall, and replacing a portion of the east wall existing of an underlying railway tunnel. Numerous existing public services will also have to be relocated.
With the FRA’s EIS process complete, USRC can now move the redevelopment project into the design phase and develop a financing plan to take the project through construction, with full operation currently planned for 2040.
