Washington Union Station 1980s Redevelopment Photos

[districtRich]

The District Department of Transportation has been posting its collection of old photos online, and they have a page for Washington Union Station. Most of the photos are from when they built the Claytor Concourse that Amtrak uses today and the parking garage over top the tracks. There are a couple of older photos of the station too, as well as a photo of RFK stadium construction that somehow snuck onto that page.

https://ddotlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/40

 

[LookingGlassTie]

Got a couple of questions about Washington Union Station's history:

1. Did the station used to be a terminus (in other words, did the tracks north of the station stop there? Today, those tracks pass under the station and continue south into Virginia. I'm reminded of the old train station in Richmond, VA (that is currently a museum), and the tracks to that station terminated there. This was before the Main St. and Staples Mill Road stations opened.

2. Related question, when the Federal Express accident happened in 1953, the train fell into the station basement. Is this the same level where the lower food court is located, or is it one level below that?

Thanks!

 

[districtRich]

Got a couple of questions about Washington Union Station's history:

1. Did the station used to be a terminus (in other words, did the tracks north of the station stop there? Today, those tracks pass under the station and continue south into Virginia. I'm reminded of the old train station in Richmond, VA (that is currently a museum), and the tracks to that station terminated there. This was before the Main St. and Staples Mill Road stations opened.

2. Related question, when the Federal Express accident happened in 1953, the train fell into the station basement. Is this the same level where the lower food court is located, or is it one level below that?

Thanks!

The station was built with terminating tracks on the upper level which is pretty much level with the main floor of the station, and the lower level feeds into the First Street Tunnel which takes the trains south and across the river to Virginia. The tunnel was built the same time as the station. Escalators/stairs/elevators are used to access those lower tracks from the station.

Yes I believe that it did fall into the level where the food court is located today.

 

[chakk]

When the Pennsy train fell through the floor in January 1953, that lower level was a baggage room and not a food court.