TRANSPORTATION

He helped build N.Y.’s Moynihan Train Hall. Now he’s rebuilding D.C.’s Union Station.

By Luz Lazo
August 17, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT



Doug Carr is the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation president and CEO. A new effort to revitalize Union Station is underway after a spike in vacancies and safety issues at the transit hub. (Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)

Union Station is in line for a major expansion, an investment that railroad and city officials say will help to move more passenger trains through the Northeast Corridor while modernizing an important gateway to the nation’s capital. ... Plans include updated concourses and tracks, more retail options, a new train hall and modern parking and bus facilities. The proposed expansion, at least an $8.8 billion expense, calls for a transformation of the nation’s second-busiest intercity rail hub by 2040.

Meanwhile, efforts in recent months have centered on near-term improvements to add life back into the station, which some have described as unsafe, outdated and unwelcoming.

Doug Carr, who oversaw the redevelopment of a historic Post Office building in Manhattan into the mixed-use Moynihan Train Hall, is leading the effort to transform Washington’s busiest transit hub.

The Washington Post spoke with Carr about short- and long-term plans for the station as he marked his first anniversary as president and chief executive of the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation. This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity.

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By Luz Lazo
Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Twitter https://twitter.com/luzcita