The station is located in the Northeast quadrant of the city under the western end of Union Station, the main train station for Washington, where connections can be made to Amtrak intercity trains, as well as Virginia Railway Express and MARCcommuter rail trains to suburbs in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.
The station was originally named "Union Station–Visitor Center" but when the National Visitor Center there failed, it was renamed Union Station. One or two pylons still read "Union Station-Visitor Center", and a number of older stations still display this name on signage.
Service began on March 27, 1976, with the opening of the Red Line. It is the busiest station in the Metrorail system, averaging 29,197 passengers per weekday as of May 2017.[2]
After groundbreaking in 1969, the station opened as Union Station-Visitor Center (National Visitor Center) on March 27, 1976, with the rest of the Red Line.
Union Station had dirtier walls than most stations as trains brought in soot from diesel engines in Union Station, resulting in a dimmer station. In March 2017, it was announced the station would be painted white at a cost of $75,000–$100,000. This sparked a debate amongst riders, as preservationists did not like the irrevocable act of painting the brutalist cavern, while other riders liked the brightened stations and cleaner feels that resulted from the white paint.[3]
Between January 15 to January 21, 2021, this station was closed because of security concerns due to the 2020 Inauguration.[4]
Future improvementsEdit
The street-level entrance on First street, built into the existing retaining wall, will be rebuilt to accessible-compliant standards, adding more space for extra fare gates and connections between the platform and track level.[5]
Station layoutEdit
Like the other original stations of the Metro, Union Station sports coffered vaults of concrete in its ceiling.[6] One end of the station has a lowered "box" cut out of the ceiling. The station features an island platform with two exits, one mid-platform mezzanine leading to the main hall of Union Station and Massachusetts Avenue and the one northern exit leading to 1st Street NE and to the main boarding concourse.
G
Street level
Exit/entrance, buses, rail connections at Union Station
^"Metro decision to paint Union Station vault rubs some the wrong way". Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
^"Metro announces Inauguration service plans, station closures | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
^Repetski, Stephen (July 11, 2017). "The Union Station Metro entrance on First Street is getting a makeover". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Station (WMATA station).
WMATA Union Station page
1st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
August 25, 2023
union, station, washington, metro, intercity, station, located, directly, above, this, station, washington, union, station, streetcar, station, union, station, streetcar, union, station, washington, metro, station, washington, line, single, underground, island. For the intercity station located directly above this station see Washington Union Station For the streetcar station see Union Station DC Streetcar Union Station is a Washington Metro station in Washington D C on the Red Line It has a single underground island platform Union StationA Red Line train leaving the station in 2010General informationLocation701 1st Street NEWashington D C Coordinates38 53 52 N 77 00 24 W 38 897723 N 77 006745 W 38 897723 77 006745Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityPlatforms1 island platformTracks2ConnectionsAmtrak MARC VRE at Union StationDC Streetcar at Union StationMetrobus 80 96 D6 D8 X2 X8 X9DC Circulator Congress Heights Union Station Georgetown Union Station National MallLoudoun County TransitMTA Maryland Bus 903 922PRTC OmniRideConstructionStructure typeUndergroundBicycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare 23 racksAccessibleYesOther informationStation codeB03HistoryOpenedMarch 27 1976 47 years ago March 27 1976 Previous namesUnion Station Visitor CenterPassengers20227 315 daily 1 Rank3rdServicesPreceding station Washington Metro Following stationJudiciary Squaretoward Shady Grove Red Line NoMa Gallaudet Utoward GlenmontLocationThe station is located in the Northeast quadrant of the city under the western end of Union Station the main train station for Washington where connections can be made to Amtrak intercity trains as well as Virginia Railway Express and MARC commuter rail trains to suburbs in Virginia Maryland and West Virginia The station was originally named Union Station Visitor Center but when the National Visitor Center there failed it was renamed Union Station One or two pylons still read Union Station Visitor Center and a number of older stations still display this name on signage Service began on March 27 1976 with the opening of the Red Line It is the busiest station in the Metrorail system averaging 29 197 passengers per weekday as of May 2017 2 Contents 1 History 1 1 Future improvements 2 Station layout 3 Notable places nearby 4 Gallery 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditAfter groundbreaking in 1969 the station opened as Union Station Visitor Center National Visitor Center on March 27 1976 with the rest of the Red Line Union Station had dirtier walls than most stations as trains brought in soot from diesel engines in Union Station resulting in a dimmer station In March 2017 it was announced the station would be painted white at a cost of 75 000 100 000 This sparked a debate amongst riders as preservationists did not like the irrevocable act of painting the brutalist cavern while other riders liked the brightened stations and cleaner feels that resulted from the white paint 3 Between January 15 to January 21 2021 this station was closed because of security concerns due to the 2020 Inauguration 4 Future improvements Edit The street level entrance on First street built into the existing retaining wall will be rebuilt to accessible compliant standards adding more space for extra fare gates and connections between the platform and track level 5 Station layout EditLike the other original stations of the Metro Union Station sports coffered vaults of concrete in its ceiling 6 One end of the station has a lowered box cut out of the ceiling The station features an island platform with two exits one mid platform mezzanine leading to the main hall of Union Station and Massachusetts Avenue and the one northern exit leading to 1st Street NE and to the main boarding concourse G Street level Exit entrance buses rail connections at Union StationPPlatform level Westbound toward Grosvenor Strathmore or Shady Grove Judiciary Square Island platformEastbound toward Silver Spring or Glenmont NoMa Gallaudet U Notable places nearby EditC SPAN Capitol Hill Capitol Police Headquarters CNN Washington Bureau Columbus Circle Dirksen Senate Office Building Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Folger Shakespeare Library Georgetown University Law Center Gonzaga College High School Government Printing Office Hart Senate Office Building Heritage Foundation Hillsdale College s Allan P Kirby Jr Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship Japanese American Memorial National Guard Memorial Museum National Postal Museum Russell Senate Office Building Securities and Exchange Commission Stanton Park Supreme Court of the United States Sursum Corda Cooperative Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building Union Station United States Capitol Washington D C bus terminalGallery Edit An old Union Station Visitor Center sign on the station platform The station in the process of being painted white in 2017 A train of Breda 3000 Series on the Red Line departing Union StationReferences Edit Rail Ridership Data Viewer WMATA Retrieved February 9 2023 Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings PDF Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority May 2017 Retrieved July 31 2018 Metro decision to paint Union Station vault rubs some the wrong way Washington Post Retrieved April 25 2017 Metro announces Inauguration service plans station closures WMATA www wmata com Retrieved January 13 2021 Repetski Stephen July 11 2017 The Union Station Metro entrance on First Street is getting a makeover Greater Greater Washington Retrieved August 3 2020 Construction TunnelsExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Station WMATA station WMATA Union Station page1st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Union Station Washington Metro amp oldid 1169097929, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
