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Amtrak Announces Comprehensive Development & Improvement Program for Union Station

October 16, 2015

22 RTA 0646

On October 16, Chairman Dillard joined our partners at Amtrak and Metra to discuss a new program to revitalize Union Station, an important hub for transportation in the region. Redeveloping this vital component of infrastructure is critical as we address transportation needs for the future.

Below are a few remarks from Chairman Dillard.

Click here for more information on the program.

-RTA Staff

IMG_0325

Thank you for inviting me here today on behalf of the RTA and the regional transit riders who pass through these doors every day.

I am one of those riders.

My interest in seeing improvements to Union Station is not entirely altruistic: I ride in and out of this station almost every day and have seen—and experienced—first-hand the repairs and refurbishment it needs. (talk about being there during the flooding).

Metra Chairman Oberman and I are here not only because this is an iconic building that should be returned to its former glory, but because of the critical role it plays every day in getting commuters to and from the city and the suburbs.

54,000 Metra passengers pass through Union Station each day.

It is the third-busiest railroad terminal in the United States, serving level of passenger traffic that ranks it busier today than Midway Airport and would rank it among the ten busiest airports in the U.S.

Six Metra lines meet here along with 16 CTA connecting bus lines, and now a Pace Bus on Shoulder express bus service.

We must move this project forward both to restore this building and to assure the safety and comfort of our customers.

Since 2009, the RTA has been involved with the Chicago Union Station Master Plan along with Chicago, Amtrak and Metra.

As Mr. Gardner mentioned, the RTA joined with our partners to advance 13 projects that we know will directly benefit public transportation riders.

The RTA Board passed a resolution supporting this work at its August board meeting.

This building really is a monument to our city’s, region’s and country’s transportation system and I know we all look forward to its restoration.

We all need to continue to fight for the capital and operating funding our system needs to continue to provide two million rides each work day –AND to assure iconic buildings like this get the updates and repairs they need for the safety of all of us who use them.

Again, we are proud to be part of this project and we look forward to partnering with Amtrak, Metra, and the City on this project.

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