Amtrak to invest $12 million for Chicago Union Station rehab

CHICAGO — Amtrak announced it will invest $12 million to continue renovations of Chicago’s 90-year-old Union Station, including a redesign of the often-crowded passenger concourses, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Chicago Department of Transportation, Amtrak, which owns Union Station Co., Metra and other organizations have been working since 2010 on a master plan for a multibillion-dollar makeover of the station and to improve rail travel and commuting both in and outside the building, according to the report.

Union Station is the third busiest rail terminal in the U.S. with roughly 120,000 passengers served each day. With increased ridership of both Amtrak and Metra, the station often reaches its maximum capacity, resulting in overcrowded waiting areas and platforms.

Work on the station will include planning and design for a larger passenger c

oncourse, making safety improvements, enhancing temperature controls and conducting necessary repairs to the Station’s exterior façade.

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