{"id":2315474,"date":"2024-07-29T13:12:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T17:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amtrak-takes-over-union-station-what-riders-need-to-know-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-29T13:20:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T17:20:24","slug":"amtrak-takes-over-union-station-what-riders-need-to-know-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amtrak-takes-over-union-station-what-riders-need-to-know-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Amtrak takes over Union Station: What riders need to know &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famtrak-takes-over-union-station-what-riders-need-to-know-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2315474&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Amtrak \u200bhas officially taken control of\u200b Union Station&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-salvador-to-build-first-bitcoin-city-at-base-of-volcano\/\" title=\"El Salvador to Build First &#039;Bitcoin City&#039; at Base of Volcano\">commercial areas<\/a> following a court&#8217;s denial of a request for a delay pending an \u200bappeal. This\u2064 takeover stems from an eminent domain \u200blawsuit initiated by Amtrak in\u2063 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-to-weigh-amtrak-bid-to-take-dcs-union-station-in-eminent-domain-case\/\" title=\"Federal court to decide on Amtrak&#039;s attempt to acquire DC&#039;s Union Station through eminent domain\">seeking full control<\/a> from\u2062 Union Station Investco. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled in \u2062favor of Amtrak \u200din \u2063April, allowing the\u200b transition to\u2062 proceed. Although initially\u200d scheduled\u2064 for mid-July, the control transfer was postponed\u200b to July 29 to give the appeals court \u200dtime to \u200dconsider the matter. \u200c <\/p>\n<p>Amtrak is planning an extensive $8.8 \u2063billion modernization project for\u200c Union Station, anticipated to span 13 years, aimed at improving \u200cthe passenger\u200d experience through\u200d enhanced seating, upgraded facilities, and reconfigured boarding areas. Amtrak had previously been \u2062limited\u2063 in its ability to initiate improvements due to\u200d its partial control\u2062 of the property. <\/p>\n<p>Although concerns were raised about Amtrak&#8217;s approach to gaining control, day-to-day \u2064operations\u2064 remain unchanged \u200cas they work towards their vision of a better service for \u2062travelers and \u200bthe community.\u2062 Amtrak\u2019s President, Roger Harris, expressed \u200dintentions to redesign the terminal and enhance customer \u200dservice \u200dstations \u200dand amenities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Amtrak takes over Union Station: What riders need to know<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1716199\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/amtrak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Amtrak<\/a>&rsquo;s takeover of Union Station&rsquo;s commercial areas took effect today after an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/appeals-courts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>appeals court<\/a> denied a request to postpone the transition pending appeal.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Amtrak launched an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/eminent-domain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>eminent domain<\/a> lawsuit to gain full control of the terminal from Union Station Investco.<\/p>\n<p>In April, U.S. District <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Court<\/a> Judge Amit Mehta <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2975939\/amtrak-wins-eminent-domain-debate-control-washington-union-station\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ruled in favor of transferring<\/a> Union Station&rsquo;s commercial leasehold interest to Amtrak.<\/p>\n<p>Although Mehtra had previously declined to halt the transfer during the appeal, he delayed the takeover from July 15 to July 29 to allow the appeals court time to weigh in.<\/p>\n<p>Union Station stakeholders are planning an $8.8 billion modernization project that is expected to take 13 years.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We look forward to implementing a plan to improve the historic station for travelers, visitors, and the community,&rdquo; Amtrak said in a statement after the appeals court&rsquo;s ruling.<\/p>\n<p>In Amtrak&rsquo;s vision, passengers will enjoy new seating areas, upgraded restrooms, and realigned boarding gates instead of waiting in tight, crowded corridors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The US Federal Railroad Administration signed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/postal-service-to-biden-thanks-but-no-thanks-on-the-electric-vehicles\/\" title=\"Postal Service to Biden: Thanks but no Thanks on the Electric Vehicles\">final environmental impact statement<\/a> and record of decision for the proposed preferred alternative for the Washington Union Station Expansion Project.<\/p>\n<p>Read more here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bnhsVK6nkk\">https:\/\/t.co\/bnhsVK6nkk<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UnionStation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#UnionStation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/rail?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#rail<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/infrastructure?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#infrastructure<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/K7GZB1RDDX\">pic.twitter.com\/K7GZB1RDDX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Grimshaw Architects (@GrimshawArch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GrimshawArch\/status\/1778056037024649302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 10, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Amtrak had previously argued it couldn&rsquo;t pursue these improvements because it lacked full control of the property, as it only subleased the terminal&rsquo;s back end.<\/p>\n<p>The company only owned the station&rsquo;s platforms and railroad tracks, while USI, which is operated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>real estate<\/a> investment management company Rexmark, was the primary leaseholder of the terminal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In June, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-oversight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House Oversight Committee<\/a> Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>James Comer<\/a> (R-KY) launched an investigation into Amtrak&rsquo;s &ldquo;heavy-handed tactics &hellip; to assert control over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Washington, D.C.<\/a>&rsquo;s, Union Station.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For now, day-to-day operations will remain unchanged.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, Amtrak&rsquo;s President Roger Harris said the company plans to redesign the terminal to move vacant commercial spaces and focus more on adding customer service stations, restrooms, and seating areas.<\/p>\n<p>At a congressional hearing last month, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner argued it would focus on enhancing both retail and rider amenities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We believe very much in a successful venture that will drive both commercial revenue so we can reinvest in the facility and also the kind of amenities people want in our train station,&rdquo; Gardner said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They want the bookstores. They want to be able to go to the cafe. They want a restaurant, and we want to serve the neighborhood well,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Michael Rebibo, founder and managing principal at Rexmark, has argued that Amtrak&rsquo;s takeover could reverse his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tractor-supplys-dei-reversal-shows-citizen-activism-works\/\" title=\"Tractor Supply&#039;s DEI Reversal Shows Citizen Activism Works\">company&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s efforts to attract retail and food <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>businesses<\/a> to the station.<\/p>\n<p>Legal battles are not over yet. Last month, USI filed an appeal to regain control of the terminal.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Even though the judge granted Amtrak authority to manage the station, the companies still need to agree on a fair price.<\/p>\n<p>Amtrak proposed a $250 million valuation in its lawsuit, but USI argued that this estimate was filed during a low point in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transportation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>transportation<\/a>, which artificially deflated the property&rsquo;s value. It countered with a $730 million valuation.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1716199\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1716199\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amtrak has officially taken control of the commercial areas at Union Station as of today, following an appeals court&#8217;s rejection of a request to delay the transition. This move comes after Amtrak initiated an eminent domain lawsuit in 2022 to obtain complete authority over the terminal from Union Station Investco. In April, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favor of transferring the commercial leasehold interest to Amtrak. Although he had previously denied a halt on the transfer during the appeal process, he postponed it from July 15 to July 29 to give the appeals court time to consider its position.<\/p>\n<p>Union Station stakeholders are planning an extensive $8.8 billion modernization project expected to take 13 years. Amtrak expressed enthusiasm about enhancing this historic station for travelers and visitors in light of the appeals court ruling, promising improvements such as new seating areas, upgraded restrooms, and better-organized boarding gates instead of cramped waiting corridors.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Amtrak argued that it was unable to pursue these enhancements due to not having full control over the property; it only subleased part of the terminal while owning just its platforms and tracks. The primary leaseholder was USI, managed by Rexmark real estate investment firm.<\/p>\n<p>In June, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) began investigating what he described as Amtrak&#8217;s &#8220;heavy-handed tactics&#8221; regarding its control over Union Station in Washington D.C. For now, daily operations will remain unchanged; however, Amtrak President Roger Harris indicated plans for redesigning parts of the terminal with a focus on customer service facilities rather than vacant commercial spaces.<\/p>\n<p>At a recent congressional hearing, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner emphasized their commitment to improving both retail options and passenger amenities at Union Station\u2014highlighting desires for bookstores and cafes among travelers while aiming to serve local community needs effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Michael Rebibo from Rexmark has raised concerns that Amtrak\u2019s takeover could undermine efforts made by his company in attracting retail and dining establishments at Union Station. Legal disputes are ongoing; last month USI filed an appeal seeking regaining control over the terminal despite Judge Mehta granting management authority to Amtrak.<\/p>\n<p>While negotiations continue regarding a fair price for management rights\u2014Amtrak proposed $250 million based on low transportation valuations during litigation\u2014USI countered with a valuation claim of $730 million based on more favorable market conditions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3166,"featured_media":2315475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP23067682631193-scaled-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[12847,36539,33616,36086,32076],"class_list":["post-2315474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-amtrak","tag-transportation-news","tag-travel-tips","tag-union-station","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP23067682631193-scaled-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2315474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2315474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2315474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2315474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}