Washington Union Station (WAS) is in Washington, DC, at the foot of Capitol Hill; it is not in Washington State. Daniel Burnham designed the building as part of the 1901 City Beautiful plan that cleared rail lines off the National Mall, and it opened in 1907, with work completed in 1908. Amtrak counted 6,006,850 boardings and alightings here in its most recent published year, making it one of the two busiest stations in the Amtrak system.
Amtrak Washington Union Station Address and Overview
Amtrak lists the station at 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, a few blocks north of the U.S. Capitol. The building is faced with white Bethel granite from Vermont over a steel and concrete frame, and its 96-foot-high Main Hall ceiling was re-gilded after damage in the 2011 earthquake. The key station details are:
| Station Name | Washington Union Station |
| Station Code | WAS |
| Address | 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA (District of Columbia) |
| Phone Number | 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245); Amtrak publishes no direct station line |
| Email Address | Amtrak Email Form |
| Operating Hours | Station and waiting room open 24 hours; ticket office Monday to Friday 4:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M., Saturday and Sunday 5:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. |
| Nearby Airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) |
| Social Media Contact | Website: https://www.amtrak.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/amtrak Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Amtrak/ Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/amtraktravels/ |
Routes Served By Amtrak at Union Station, Washington, DC
Union Station is the southern end of Amtrak’s electrified Northeast Corridor and the point where long-distance trains to the South and Midwest begin. Amtrak lists the Acela, Northeast Regional, Vermonter, Carolinian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Crescent, Cardinal and Floridian here.
Northeast Regional: Frequent trains north to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and south into Virginia, including Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and Newport News. The Vermonter also runs north from Washington to St. Albans, Vermont, while the Carolinian and Palmetto serve North and South Carolina.
Acela: Amtrak’s high-speed service between Washington, New York and Boston, stopping only at major stations on the Northeast Corridor.
Capitol Limited: No longer runs as a separate train. Since November 2024 its Washington to Pittsburgh and Chicago route has been operated as part of the Floridian.
Crescent: Daily overnight train to Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans, starting from New York and calling at Washington.
Cardinal: Runs three days a week between New York, Washington and Chicago by way of Charlottesville, the New River Gorge in West Virginia, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.
Silver Service: The Silver Meteor continues daily to Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. The former Silver Star was combined with the Capitol Limited in November 2024 to form the Floridian.
Floridian: This new Amtrak route links Chicago and Pittsburgh with Washington and continues south to Miami, so passengers between the Midwest and Florida no longer change trains at Union Station.
Amtrak Washington DC Station Schedule
The station building and waiting areas are open 24 hours, as is passenger assistance; ticketing, baggage and the lounge keep shorter hours listed by Amtrak.
| Services | Operating Hours |
| Station Waiting Room | 24 hours |
| Ticket Office | 4:30 am to 10:00 pm Monday to Friday; 5:00 am to 10:00 pm Saturday and Sunday |
| Passenger Assistance | 24 hours |
| Checked Baggage Services | 6:30 am to 9:50 pm, daily |
| Parking | 24 hours |
| Quick-Trak Kiosks | 24 hours |
| Lounge | Metropolitan Lounge 4:45 am to 10:00 pm Monday to Friday; 6:00 am to 10:00 pm Saturday and Sunday |
Services Available at Amtrak Union Station, Washington
Amtrak lists these facilities and services at Union Station:
- Red Cap baggage assistance and passenger assistance staff
- ATM
- Elevator
- Metropolitan lounge
- Payphones
- Ticketing kiosks
- Ticket sales office
- Amtrak Wi-Fi
- Waiting rooms
- Coffee shops and restaurants in the station
- Gift shops
- Retail shops
- Checked baggage services
- Checked baggage storage
- Bike boxes
- Ski bags
- Bag storage
- Accessible restrooms
- Parking
- Accessible same-day and overnight parking (fee applied)
- Shipping boxes
- Wheelchair
- Accessible facilities for passengers with physical disability
Note: A fee is applied to bag storage.
Parking at Union Station Amtrak
A parking garage above the train sheds, owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation, holds about 2,500 spaces and is open 24 hours. Amtrak lists same-day and overnight parking, including accessible spaces, for a fee. Garage rates are set by the operator and change, so the figures below are indicative only.
| Time Slot | Parking Rates |
|---|---|
| 10 min to 1 hour | Set by garage operator; not published by Amtrak |
| 1 to 2 hours | Set by garage operator; not published by Amtrak |
| 2 to 10 hours | Set by garage operator; not published by Amtrak |
| 10 to 24 hours | Set by garage operator; not published by Amtrak |
How to Get to Amtrak Washington, DC Station
Union Station is one of the region’s main transfer points. More than 100,000 people pass through it on a typical day, using:
- Washington Metrorail (Red Line)
- MARC commuter trains
- Metrobus
- Virginia Railway Express (VRE)
- Regional buses
- Taxi
- Rideshare
- Car
Hotels Near Amtrak Washington DC Union Station
Hotels within a few blocks of the station include the following. Amtrak has no affiliation with any of them, and availability and rates change:
- Capitol Hill Suites
- Hilton Washington DC Capitol Hill
- Further hotels in the NoMa area, north of the station
- Phoenix Park Hotel
- Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
- Washington Court Hotel
- The Royal Sonesta Washington DC Capitol Hill
- YOTEL Washington DC (the former Liaison Capitol Hill)
- Kimpton The George
Washington DC Union Station Amtrak Dining Options
Union Station has more than 210,000 square feet of retail space. Tenants have changed since Amtrak took over the station’s commercial space, so the categories below describe what the building offers rather than specific outlets:
- Lower-level food court, created during the 1980s restoration
- Quick-service counters
- Coffee shops
- Small eateries for fast meals before boarding
- Full-service restaurants
- Bakery and snack kiosks
- Grab-and-go food for the train
- Shops and kiosks across the concourses
- Complimentary refreshments in the Metropolitan Lounge for eligible passengers
- Café cars on Acela and most Northeast Regional trains
- Restaurants in the surrounding Capitol Hill, NoMa and H Street neighborhoods
- Union Station’s own directory for current tenants
- Vending and convenience retail
- Seating areas in the Main Hall and concourses
Note: Passengers can bring their food on Amtrak trains.
Union Station Amtrak Washington DC Map
The map below centers on the station at Columbus Circle. Amtrak’s waiting areas, ticket counters and boarding gates are in the Claytor Concourse at the north end of the building, while the Metro Red Line entrance and the parking garage connect from the west and upper levels.
List of all Amtrak Stations.
Washington Union Station Amtrak Future Plan
The Washington Union Station 2nd Century Plan is a long-term program to modernize and expand the station over about 20 years, aiming to triple passenger capacity and double train capacity. Its main goals are to:
- Increase passenger and train capacity by rebuilding and enlarging station facilities.
- Expanding concourses.
- Adding more access points.
- Improving accessibility for all passengers.
- Creating better connections to other transportation systems.
In a settlement approved in 2025, Amtrak agreed to pay $505 million to take control of the leasehold on the station’s roughly 607,000 square feet of commercial space, ending an eminent domain case with the lender-owner Rexmark that began in 2022.
Travel Tips for Washington Union Station
A few practical points for using Washington Union Station:
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure, or 45 minutes when checking baggage or needing ticketing help, and note that boarding gates close 2 minutes before departure. (Find how early to arrive at the Amtrak station here.)
- Use the Quik-Trak kiosks, available 24 hours, for faster ticket pickup.
- Watch the departure boards for the gate; trains board from the Claytor Concourse.
- Expect long lines at peak travel times, especially around holidays.
Washington Union Station brings together Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and long-distance trains, MARC and VRE commuter rail, Metro and intercity buses under one roof. For Amtrak passengers it is also one of the few stations with a staffed ticket office, checked baggage, Red Cap assistance and a Metropolitan Lounge.
FAQs
Amtrak lists Washington Union Station (WAS) at 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, in the District of Columbia near the U.S. Capitol.
Amtrak handles questions and bookings for WAS at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) and on Amtrak.com. In the station, the ticket office opens 4:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. on weekdays and 5:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. on weekends, and passenger assistance is available 24 hours.
Yes. Amtrak lists unaccompanied child travel as allowed at Washington Union Station, which is fully staffed; Amtrak’s age, route and documentation rules still apply.
Yes. Washington Union Station offers checked baggage service daily from 6:30 A.M. to 9:50 P.M., checked baggage storage, paid bag storage and Red Cap assistance.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, is the nearest airport. Washington Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) also serve the city.