Union Station
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Opened 1908
Number of station tracks: 19 stub/6 through
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
K Tower: controlled the immediate station area
A Tower: controlled south end of depressed through tracks
C Tower: controlled north end connections with PRR and B&O
In 1908, the new Union Station replaced the following older separate stations.
Baltimore & Ohio Station
New Jersey Ave. and C Street NW
Opened 1851
Pennsylvania Railroad Station
Pennsylvania Ave. and 6th St. NW
Opened 1872
The Pennsylvania Railroad originally owned a line south of Washington to Quantico VA, providing all railroads to the south access into Washington, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Station. That line eventually was transferred to the Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 102 Washington-New York New York 1:05 12:01 110 Havana Special New York 1:50 1:40 140 2:25 400 Philadelphia 2:00 108 Piedmont Limited New York 2:10 2:10 112 Palmland New York 4:20 5:00 118 Crescent New York 5:15 4:55 104 East Coast Champion New York 6:00 6:20 114 Silver Meteor New York 6:30 6:30 142 6:15 120 Potomac New York 7:00 6:00 100 7:30 122 Palmetto Limited New York 7:30 124 President New York 8:00 7:00 102 8:30 571 Harrisburg 8:20 7:10 126 Legislator New York 9:00 8:00 8:40 174 West Coast Champion New York 9:25 194 7:50 144 7:20 174 Southerner New York 9:30 148 9:35 174 Colonial Boston 10:00 8:45 170 6:55 130 Judiciary New York 11:00 10:00 11:40 132 Representative New York 12:00 12:00 3:00 176 Cotton States Spec. New York 12:20 176 Sun Queen New York 12:25 130 10:00 104 12:00 176 Birmingham Special New York 12:40 176 Senator Boston 1:00 10:45 172 10:00 533 Harrisburg 1:50 11:20 142 Embassy New York 2:00 1:00 106 1:00 412 Philadelphia 2:15 170 Patriot Boston 3:00 2:00 174 1:40 152 Aft. Congressional New York 4:00 3:00 4:00 134 New York 3:30 108 4:30 420 Philadelphia 4:30 168 Montrealer Montreal 4:50 2:45 154 Executive New York 5:00 4:00 5:00 569 Red Arrow Harrisburg 5:10 59 Liberty Limited Chicago 5:45 5:10 156 Mount Vernon New York 6:00 5:00 110 6:00 21 Spirit Of St. Louis Indianapolis 6:20 523 Harrisburg 6:55 158 Arlington New York 7:00 6:00 7:25 160 Constitution New York 8:00 7:00 112 8:30 575 Dominion Express Buffalo 8:30 7:05 162 Philadelphia 8:40 8:35 178 Speaker New York 9:00 150 8:30 172 Federal Boston 11:00 10:00 176 10:15 51 Statesman Pittsburgh 11:40 535 9:40Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 147 Constitution New York 12:15 159 Palmland New York 2:05 141 Havana Special New York 2:40 1:05 147 1:35 am 151 New York 4:50 135 2:15 113 11:30 pm 101 New York-Washington New York 5:50 4:20 103 Edison New York 7:15 50 Statesman Pittsburgh 7:20 536 7:35 107 New York 7:30 7:00 504 American Harrisburg 7:40 173 Federal Boston 8:00 7:30 177 7:50 58 Liberty Limited Chicago 8:40 8:25 574 Dominion Express Buffalo 8:50 131 Morn. Congressional New York 9:20 10:20 20 Spirit Of St. Louis Indianapolis 9:30 530 9:30 401 Philadelphia 9:40 403 Philadelphia 10:55 109 Speaker New York 11:20 12:50 101 10:25 542 Harrisburg 11:25 111 Legislator New York 12:15 10:40 103 11:30 169 Washingtonian Montreal 12:55 11:15 115 President New York 1:25 12:20 133 12:00 121 Sun Queen New York 2:25 1:20 135 1:30 123 Potomac New York 3:35 2:40 137 2:40 125 Representative New York 4:25 3:25 105 2:30 127 West Coast Champion New York 4:40 195 7:30 145 7:00 554 Harrisburg 4:45 5:00 129 Executive New York 5:30 5:30 107 4:00 113 Silver Meteor New York 6:05 6:45 143 6:00 175 Colonial Boston 6:30 4:30 171 4:45 149 Crescent New York 6:35 5:52 155 Embassy New York 7:30 8:25 109 7:15 105 East Coast Champion New York 7:55 6:20 153 Aft. Congressional New York 8:05 7:05 111 7:55 157 Southerner New York 8:35 8:15 562 Harrisburg 8:40 177 Senator Boston 9:20 6:35 173 6:50 137 Arlington New York 10:25 9:50 155 11:20 564 Harrisburg 10:30 570 10:05 429 Philadelphia 10:54 423 9:25 139 Peach Queen New York 11:00 143 Mount Vernon New York 11:15 11:20 139 10:55 171 Patriot Boston 11:40 10:40 175 9:35Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.
Not listed are commuter trains, which continue to operate.
In 1971, trains 100 through 113 were actually the high speed "Metroliner" trains between New York and Washington, introduced in 1969.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 528 New York Night Exp. New York 1:00 12 12:01 10 New York Express New York 6:45 2 National Limited New York 8:00 7:00 18 Wash. Night Express Baltimore 7:15 11 Metropolitan Special St. Louis 8:15 8:00 8:05 20 Ambassador Baltimore 8:35 8:40 6 Capitol Limited New York 9:10 9:00 21 Washingtonian Cleveland 10:10 9:05 4 Diplomat New York 11:00 10:30 9 Express Chicago 1:15 1:15 33 2:30 504 Marylander New York 1:30 12:00 28 Royal Blue New York 3:45 2:45 8 Shenandoah New York 5:00 4:00 5 Capitol Limited Chicago 5:45 4:30 4:40 19 Ambassador Detroit 5:55 4:40 25 Columbian Chicago 6:05 36 Philadelphia Express Philadelphia 6:10 5:00 1 National Limited St. Louis 6:30 6:30 22 Washingtonian Baltimore 7:25 6:15 17 Clev. Night Express Cleveland 8:40 9:00 9:00 3 Diplomat St. Louis 8:50 9:30 15 Blue Ridge Limited Chicago 9:00 23 West Virginian Parkersburg 11:00 7 Shenandoah Chicago 11:59 10:55Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 10 New York Express Chicago 6:25 6:20 34 9:12 511 Wash. Night Exp. New York 7:05 11 6:00 2 National Limited St. Louis 7:40 6:30 18 Wash. Night Express Cleveland 8:15 7:15 20 Ambassador Detroit 8:20 8:20 6 Capitol Limited Chicago 8:40 8:35 10:00 26 Columbian Chicago 8:55 21 Washingtonian Baltimore 9:40 8:50 35 Washington Express Philadelphia 10:37 9:45 4 Diplomat St. Louis 10:45 10:10 34 Cumberland 11:50 9 Express New York 1:00 27 Royal Blue New York 2:00 12:30 8 Shenandoah Chicago 4:30 3:30 5:15 5 Capitol Limited New York 5:25 4:05 19 Ambassador Baltimore 5:37 4:15 1 National Limited New York 6:13 6:05 22 Washingtonian Cleveland 7:10 5:55 3 Diplomat New York 8:30 9:15 23 West Virginian New York 10:40 523 7:55 17 Clev. Night Express Baltimore 8:35 12 Metropolitan Special St. Louis 11:35 11:10 10:40 7 Shenandoah New York 11:38 10:25Passenger service initially discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.
Not listed are commuter trains, which continue to operate.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 5 Sportsman Cincinnati 11:45 11:00 1 George Washington Cincinnati 6:01 6:01 4:35 pm 3 F.F.V. Cincinnati 11:25 10:55Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 6 F.F.V. Cincinnati 3:50 4:05 2 George Washington Cincinnati 8:20 8:10 9:15 am 4 Sportsman Cincinnati 12:45 2:30Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the George Washington (renamed the Cardinal in 1977).
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 191 Palmland Miami 2:30 9 12:05 75 Havana Special Miami 3:15 1:50 2:10 23 Richmond 5:35 5:40 89 Florida Mail Tampa 8:00 93 Jacksonville 9:05 9:15 15 Richmond 11:25 375 Everglades Jacksonville 11:30 85 10:45 21 Silver Star Miami 1:50 2:00 9 Cotton States Spec. Birmingham 2:45 33 5:10 107 Sun Queen Tampa 3:00 3:40 29 (Motor Train) Richmond 3:30 4:25 91 West Coast Champion Tampa 5:10 7:50 7:30 31 (Motor Train) Fredericksbg. 5:40 43 Silver Meteor Miami 6:20 57 7:05 6:30 77 Palmetto Limited Savannah 7:05 6:25 21 Jacksonville 7:45 1 East Coast Champion Miami 8:15 6:40 95 Robert E. Lee Birmingham 10:30 10:00Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 76 Havana Special Miami 1:10 12:55 12:50 24 Richmond 1:35 1:35 192 Palmland Miami 3:55 110 4:25 2 East Coast Champion Miami 5:45 6:00 44 Silver Meteor Miami 6:15 58 6:10 5:45 78 Palmetto Limited Savannah 7:00 5:15 96 Robert E. Lee Birmingham 7:35 20 9:44 32 (Motor Train) Fredericksbg. 8:15 92 West Coast Champion Tampa 9:25 7:25 6:45 10 (Motor Train) Richmond 10:10 7:00 22 Jacksonville 10:25 110 Cotton States Spec. Birmingham 12:20 34 8:55 22 Silver Star Miami 9:20 9:20 108 Sun Queen Tampa 12:25 1:45 14 Richmond 2:40 376 Everglades Jacksonville 3:30 86 6:30 16 Richmond 6:40 7:35 94 Jacksonville 8:45 80 Florida Mail Tampa 10:45Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.
Trains 33-34, the Silver Comet, replaced the Cotton States Special in 1947.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 33 Piedmont Limited New Orleans 3:00 3:00 135 Atlanta 8:05 8:30 45 Tennessean Memphis 9:00 8:00 35 New Orleans Express Montgomery 2:00 1:30 17 Birmingham Special Birmingham 5:00 3:50 2:15 pm 37 Crescent New Orleans 6:50 6:10 31 Augusta Special Augusta 7:00 6:15 47 Southerner New Orleans 8:50 8:30 1 7:25 pm 29 Peach Queen Atlanta 11:35 11:10 5 12:25 am 39 Sunnyland Birmingham 11:40 41 Pelican New Orleans 11:50 11:35Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 34 Piedmont Limited New Orleans 1:35 1:15 38 Crescent New Orleans 4:55 4:15 1:55 am 32 Augusta Special Augusta 6:40 4:20 42 Pelican New Orleans 6:45 6:40 40 Sunnyland Birmingham 7:10 48 Southerner New Orleans 9:30 9:10 8:00 am 18 Birmingham Special Birmingham 12:35 11:50 5:40 pm 30 Peach Queen Atlanta 12:40 6:45 am 36 Washington Express Montgomery 6:45 5:15 46 Tennessean Memphis 7:40 7:15 136 Atlanta 8:25 8:35Southern Railway initially did not join Amtrak, and was required to continue operation of its remaining trains beyond 1971.
Washington Union Station.
The tracks on the east side of Washington Union Station are depressed, and continue south through a tunnel under Capitol Hill with connections to Virginia. The pictured Amtrak Acela train is on one of the stub tracks at a higher level.
Union Station - Washington DC
Link to official Web site of Union Station.