On Wednesday, Amtrak released its $7.5 billion Master Plan for Washington Union Station, which would transform the station area into a multimodal transportation hub and a major commercial, retail and residential center for the entire Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The plan would triple the passenger capacity of the station and add several new tracks for high-speed rail. But the plan is more than just expanding station capacity, it also includes the development of Burnham Place, a mixed-use real estate project over the tracks behind the station.
Most of the expansion of Union Station would come below ground, where Amtrak plans to add new tracks, platforms and shopping areas, including six tracks dedicated to high-speed rail. The expansion would relieve passenger and train congestion and improve passenger experience in the multimodal transportation center.
Burnham Place, named after Union Station architect Daniel Burnham, is a 3 million square-foot smart growth project, including 1.5 million square feet of office space, more than 1,300 residential units, 500 hotel rooms, and 100,000 square feet of retail space. The station area would become a vibrant commercial, retail and residential center that is easily accessible by pedestrians, public transit, and high-speed trains.
The expansion and transformation plan for Union Station represents a unique opportunity to stimulate growth in the D.C. metropolitan area, to set a great example for transit-oriented development real estate, and to accelerate the planning of a true high-speed rail in the Northeast. The next step would be to come up with a financing and implementation plan to make the great visions become reality. We commend Amtrak's long-sighted vision for Washington's Union Station and call for a feasible implementation plan.
how big is the new station going to be and how much traisn will be there and hom much people