FRA awards $3 million grant for Chicago Union Station
A $3 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was awarded to Chicago Union Station.
The grant award was announced by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.
“Chicago Union Station has been a central transportation hub in the Midwest since its original construction in 1925. But the station must meet the needs of Metra and Amtrak passengers in the 21st century,” Sen. Durbin said. “With this federal funding, we can take the next step in Chicago Union Station’s revitalization. As the nation’s fourth busiest Amtrak station, Chicago Union Station is worthy of this federal support and Illinoisans and travelers will benefit from this investment for years to come.”
Sen. Duckworth added, “For nearly a century, Chicago’s Union Station has been a critical transportation center and helped power our economy by connecting people, cities and businesses across the nation. Improving its infrastructure would mean more good-paying jobs in our region, improved service and more Illinois families traveling across our great state and country. I’ll continue to call for federal support for the station, and I look forward to its continued presence as a key transportation and commercial hub.”
The funding will be used to complete the design process for planned renovations to the train station’s concourse level, which serves Amtrak and Metra passengers.
"Public transportation is quite literally what keeps our city moving,” Lightfoot said. "Union Station brings thousands of people to and from our city for work and play every single day. These improvements will enhance the commuter experience and connect even more visitors to our great city via train."
“A renovated Chicago Union Station Concourse will support network growth of intercity passenger rail in the Midwest, increasing access to jobs, providing new service to underserved communities, and promoting a more economic and environmentally sustainable mode of transit,” said Jeannie Kwon, vice president of stations/capital delivery, Amtrak. “Production of final design documents will allow Amtrak to quickly secure a construction contractor to execute a high-quality design.”
