The Department of Transportation plans to take control of Washington’s historic Union Station amid the Trump administration’s move to tackle crime in the nation’s capital.
The DOT announced it plans to reclaim management over the neglected Union Station. The news came alongside an announcement of new high-speed Acela trains.
“With these new Acela trainsets, Amtrak will provide more reliable service and lower prices for the American people – all while increasing the organization’s profitability,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in an August 27 release.
“But we’re not stopping there. Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair. By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost.”
The DOT is renegotiating an existing agreement with the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, the nonprofit group that oversees the station, as well as Amtrak. The department says it expects a “formal action” that restores its control by September.
“President Trump pledged to Make DC Safe & Beautiful Again, and under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department of Transportation is taking historic action to reinvest in Union Station,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN.
On Monday, the President signed an executive order authorizing broad federal action to help curtail what the White House calls a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C.
The order tasks the National Park Service with increasing the number of Park Police officers in the city to enhance public safety. It also directs the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia to add prosecutors focused on tackling violent and property crimes.