Washington DC Union Station Expansion

Business Insider saying infrastructure spend delayed into 2018, which didn't shock me but apparently some construction company investors bet otherwise.

Greg Moore wrote:Yeah, they realized they really needed more office space, and fast.
The biggest limitation was the amount of steel used. Hence why so much concrete.

Trivia: The Pentagon had 202 phone #'s until recently, say ~~10 years ago. Now it's 703...
Why? When built, there was nothing over including phone CO's & outside plant; it was brought over from DC....

Looks like they're starting to move forward. from BizJournals

Fair use quote:

On the western side of the station, Track 22 is currently being used as a holding and storage track. Amtrak wants to bring it back into use, which would require a new walkway, renovation of the platform and its historic canopies and track realignment. This track reopening should start this fall and take about two years, according to an Amtrak representative.

I find this interesting. Should help the VRE and Amtrak trains heading south.

Article needs clarification: the lower level (tunnel access) tracks are on the EASTERN side of WAS (Metro is on the West and took low numbered tracks). So when the quote says "Western side of the station" it actually means middle of the whole station, but Western side of the lower level, right?

Is Track 22 the first (lowest numbered) lower a level track w/ tunnel access? (next to the retaining wall that supports the highest-numbered upper track for NEC-only trains)

Happened through WAS on a Virginia train last week (on what may have been Track 24 or 25) and did notice a track with nothing but stored locomotive pairs and singles, with a big a stone wall immediately east of it (and an Acela atop that wall)

22 track is indeed the first lower level track with tunnel access, but has no passenger access to the station and is used for outbound diesel locomotive storage (similar to 29 track that is used for electrics). There USED to be a 21 track adjacent to the wall that was electrified (20 track is the where the upper level starts, where you saw the Acela), but I do not know exactly when or why it was removed (WAY before my time lol). As of right now there is a myriad of electrical conduits bolted to the wall that would have to be removed to re-lay the track.

So was 21 an un-platformed bypass? Seems to me they should bite the bullet and do the work to get both 21 and 22 back in service.

Also, as the Mass Ave headhouse continues to creep northwards towards H Street (recall that the original waiting area is where the shopping mall is today) it seems worth considering building the H Street head house also and restoring some of the very low numbered tracks on the Metro/western side of the station.

The expansion plan of years ago always seemed a little bit too overbuilt. Before we go making tracks 4 through 20 into multi-level (which still could be done in the very long run) it seems to me we could reinstall a track on the MARC low-numbered side side and maybe look into an upper level over tracks 21 thru 29, and switching the main commuter and direct passenger entrance to H Street, similar to the way that Moynihan station would double the size of Penn Station. I know all of these are in the grand plan but they seem to have the wrong sequence and emphasis.

Arlington wrote:So was 21 an un-platformed bypass? Seems to me they should bite the bullet and do the work to get both 21 and 22 back in service.

No, platform is still there adjacent to 22 track.....but it has no connection to the station. I can't even see traces of where it did.

Cannot find the proposed track layout about the expansion. Any one remember the link ?

east point wrote:Cannot find the proposed track layout about the expansion. Any one remember the link ?

There was a blurb on Amtrak's page, but now I think this is close:
https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0866" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is there a track map of Union Station?

farecard wrote:Is there a track map of Union Station?

Either Google or a search of this forum will answer this many times over.

Take this link and keep expanding it around Washington until you see the actual tracks.

http://www.openrailwaymap.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer ... ment/17180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://ggwash.org/view/66893/see-detai ... -expansion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

east point wrote:Take this link and keep expanding it around Washington until you see the actual tracks.

http://www.openrailwaymap.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unreliable for many countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East.

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... ect--56435" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amtrak unveils RFQ for Washington Union Station project

Amtrak has released a request for qualifications (RFQ) from potential general contractors interested in a project designed to modernize the Claytor Concourse at Washington Union Station.

With the RFQ's release, Amtrak and its partners are launching a two-phase process to select a contractor for the project, which calls for expanding the concourse to double its capacity to alleviate congestion and improve accessibility.

Construction is expected to begin in fall and be completed in 2022, according to an Amtrak press release.
...
Other project work calls for the addition of restrooms and a new "Metropolitan Lounge" to replace the existing Club Acela, a premium lounge space for riders. Also, space will be added for support services including station manager and customer service representatives.
...