This week, Amtrak announced that nearly $100 million in grant money had been provided by the federal government to finance improvements at Chicago’s Union Station.
The grants, totaling $93.6 million, will go directly to Amtrak with the aim of improving service and other amenities at the train station, which helps facilitate rail travel both locally and throughout the entire Midwest.
According to Amtrak, the money is earmarked for a series of improvements in conjunction with the Chicago Hub Improvement Project, a wide-ranging set of initiatives designed to modernize Union Station and pave the way for increased service offerings in the Midwest.
Those projects include:
-Renovation and expansion of platforms within Union Station. Those improvements will ultimately allow for greater capacity and for improved access for passengers, and will bring facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
-The plan will also call for improved ventilation systems, which will help divert exhaust from locomotives out of the boarding areas and to improve air quality within the station.
-Several platforms at Union Station originally used by the United States Postal Service will be brought back into active service for travelers and customers. Those platforms have been out of service since 2005, according to the agency.
Those additional platforms will ultimately be used to expand service offerings both on Amtrak and for Metra, according to officials.
-Funding was also earmarked to study potential increases in the offering of Cardinal service between Chicago and New York City. Those trains operate three days a week, and include stops in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, among others.
-Funding will also go toward development of expanded service between Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago.
More information can be found on the Department of Transportation’s website.
