Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Department of Transportation is granting Union Station $465 million to “beautify” and “increase safety” infrastructure at the Washington, D.C., transportation hub.
“In our effort to follow the president’s call to make D.C. ‘beautiful’ and ‘great again,’ we are announcing that we are given a grant from DOT to Union Station for $465 million,” Duffy said on Thursday.
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The announcement came as Duffy and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the Columbus Fountain in front of Union Station.
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“It’s going to fast-track critical structural repairs to this building, things like a roof – we can’t have leaks in our Union Station’s roof, so we are going to fix the roof – enhance the passenger concourses, the Amtrak lounge, and the ticketing experience,” Duffy said.
“We’re going to maximize the station’s revenue potential with retail, with parking, with office spaces, with digital signage and a lot more,” he added. “We’re going to improve security and we’re going to invest in family-friendly infrastructure.”
The fountain is now working again after nearly two decades, according to WJLA.
“We are a beautiful country. Our fountains actually work in our capital city,” Duffy said.
Burgum announced the fountain’s reopening on X, saying, “Columbus Circle is a historic front door to Washington, D.C. and thanks to @POTUS, today it is once again ready to welcome the Public!”
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DOT and the Department of the Interior are working together to restore Washington, D.C.’s Union Station in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s efforts to improve the city’s infrastructure.
In September 2025, Duffy announced the Trump administration had plans to make Union Station “safe and beautiful again,” and that the DOT would reclaim management of the transportation hub.
