# Washington DC Union Station Floorplan/Diagram



## printman2000 (Nov 28, 2007)

Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.


----------



## VentureForth (Nov 28, 2007)

printman2000 said:


> Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.


Nope. Had the same problem when I travelled through there in three years ago. Can't believe nothing has improved.


----------



## wayman (Nov 28, 2007)

VentureForth said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.
> ...


There are very nice floorplan maps at the station itself (of the large standing sort you see at shopping malls). I don't think there are take-with-you brochure maps, though. Maybe someone could photograph the map and post it here? (Not sure when I'll next be in WAS, but I'll try to remember to do it if no one has by then.) It won't have track diagrams--it'll just show the layout of the concourses, waiting rooms, shops, restrooms, connections to WMATA, and orientation in relation to the surrounding streets--but by "floorplan" that sounds like exactly what you want.


----------



## had8ley (Nov 28, 2007)

wayman said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > printman2000 said:
> ...


Believe it or not there are no maps of the station, (with tracks, towers etc.) available according to Amtrak in D.C. I'm guessing it is for security concerns. I would be very cautious in taking a picture indoors of the floor plan. Practically everywhere you go in public today is being watched by cameras or humans. I would think a simple trip to the library would reveal some older books about the station and you would probably get more detail than is available today. As beautiful as the station is today, it sat in idle gloom for a number of years and you had to walk around the station to get to the train tracks.


----------



## VentureForth (Nov 28, 2007)

Here you go:







Just kidding. That's Tokyo Station.


----------



## wayman (Nov 28, 2007)

had8ley said:


> Believe it or not there are no maps of the station, (with tracks, towers etc.) available according to Amtrak in D.C. I'm guessing it is for security concerns. I would be very cautious in taking a picture indoors of the floor plan. Practically everywhere you go in public today is being watched by cameras or humans. I would think a simple trip to the library would reveal some older books about the station and you would probably get more detail than is available today. As beautiful as the station is today, it sat in idle gloom for a number of years and you had to walk around the station to get to the train tracks.


As far as tracks and towers go, Google Maps and Wikipedia both give rather nice (albeit unlabeled) track diagrams. If you're familiar with the layout of the track numbering from the waiting area side of things, I imagine it would be pretty easy to label the tracks on these photos.


----------



## printman2000 (Nov 28, 2007)

I was looking more for the layout of the station. Location of lounge and waiting areas, baggage claim, restaurants, etc.


----------



## PerRock (Nov 28, 2007)

VentureForth said:


> Here you go:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I was gonna say....

peter


----------



## AKA (Nov 28, 2007)

I have a copy of a brochure called Amtrak at Union Station. It has the pointless arrow on it. I am thinking is old. I think I picked it up at WAS. U S years ago. However Washington Union Station has a web site. You might try there.The only phone numbers on the brochure are for Amtrak reservations [ USA RAIL. ]- MARC [ 1-800-325-rail ] This brochure has a layout in it. Train concourse- station concourse- main hall -ect.I do not have a scanner so I cant post it . I will try to get a friend to do it, in the next day or two . In the mean time go the web and see whats up.


----------



## AKA (Nov 28, 2007)

Sorry to go on about this. The Amtrak magazine ARRIVE has somewhat of a layout of WAS U S on the back page. Also has PHILADELPHIA 30 th st. NEW YORK PENN STATION and BOSTON SOUTH STATION


----------



## AmtrakCrescent20 (Nov 28, 2007)

This is a little OT...but here is a good floorplan of Chicago Union Station, including tracks


----------



## printman2000 (Nov 29, 2007)

There is nothing on the WUS web site, that was the first place I tried.

I did find another great CUS map on their site. http://www.chicagounionstation.com/graphic...hi_brochure.pdf


----------



## had8ley (Nov 29, 2007)

printman2000 said:


> There is nothing on the WUS web site, that was the first place I tried.
> I did find another great CUS map on their site. http://www.chicagounionstation.com/graphic...hi_brochure.pdf


They still show the Railway Media location and they bit the dust last summer.


----------



## pr (Oct 26, 2010)

There is a good floor plan of the shops,etc at: http://www.unionstationdc.com/mimages/UnionStationDirectoryMap.pdf


----------



## Nickrapak (Oct 29, 2010)

pr said:


> There is a good floor plan of the shops,etc at: http://www.unionstationdc.com/mimages/UnionStationDirectoryMap.pdf


Yes, they must have put that up *over the past three years.*


----------



## George Harris (Oct 29, 2010)

The short summary of tracks is as follows: Tracks are numbered west to east. Tracks 1 thorugh 6, or 1 through 7, I forget which do not exist. They were removed at the time WMATA was being constructed. WMATA's station for Union Station is under the west end fo the station. The next few tracks are used by the MARC commuter service on the ex-B&O routes. I don't think all of them even have overhead wire. These have low platforms. The next, I think, are for the ex Penn line commuter service. The rest of the upper level tracks are for the Northeast corridor service. The lower level tracks are for trains to and from the south, so that would be the Virginia commuter trains as well as the Virginia, Florida, and New Orleans trains. So far as I know, all the lower level tracks have low platforms.


----------



## Ryan (Oct 29, 2010)

Pretty close, George.

Upper Level:

1-6 no longer exist

7-8 are low platforms without wire.

9-16 are electrified high level platforms used for all MARC lines and NE Regionals. Also the Capitol Limited usually leaves from 16.

17-20 are electrified high levels used for Acela Express

Lower level:

21 is no longer in revenue service

22-28 are electrified low level platforms used for VRE and Amtrak trains headed South of DC. Also, the MARC 3:25 PM departure usually leaves from 27/28 for some reason.


----------



## MikefromCrete (Oct 29, 2010)

Ryan said:


> Pretty close, George.
> 
> Upper Level:
> 
> ...


How can the Superliner equipped Capitol Limited use a high level platform?


----------



## Ryan (Oct 30, 2010)

Good catch - 15 and 16 are low level platforms as well. There is also a low level platform between 10 and 11 that's blocked off and never used.

Corrected version:

Upper Level:

1-6 no longer exist

7-8 are low platforms without wire.

9-14 are electrified high level platforms used for all MARC lines and NE Regionals.

15-16 are electrified low level platforms. The Capitol Limited usually leaves from 16, which is also an inspection track (has a "pit" between the rails for a car length or two).

17-20 are electrified high levels used for Acela Express

Lower level:

21 is no longer in revenue service

22-28 are electrified low level platforms used for VRE and Amtrak trains headed South of DC. Also, the MARC 3:25 PM departure usually leaves from 27/28 for some reason.


----------



## saxman (Oct 30, 2010)

Arrive Magazine has diagrams of several stations along the Northeast Corridor. I'm not sure if it has an online version though.


----------



## George Harris (Oct 31, 2010)

Thanks, Ryan.

It has been a long time since I have spent any time in DC. In fact, the last time I was there, it was on the way between Newark NJ and Atlanta, and that was about 15 years ago, and all I did was change trains. (The Crescent was stated as being sold out at Newark and Philadelphia. I would have been riding the dog after DC if I could not have gotten on the Crescent.)


----------



## Trainmans daughter (Oct 31, 2010)

I see the ticket counter for Amtrak and MARC, but where is the VRE ticket counter? I'm planning on taking VRE from Union Station to Manassas next time out and need to know where to buy tickets.


----------



## Ryan (Oct 31, 2010)

VRE tickets are bought from vending machines down by the VRE tracks - you can't miss 'em.


----------



## woodytoo (Aug 3, 2011)

printman2000 said:


> Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.


The only thing I could find is at www.unionstationdc.com which has a "directory map" that primarily shows all the shops but also has locations for Amtrak, Metro, etc.


----------



## fixj (Feb 3, 2018)

This thread was started about 8 years ago, but I still can't find a good layout map for Washington Union station. I am arriving by cab and need to know how to get to the Metropolitan (or is it the Acela) lounge to wait for Acella 2160 to NYP. Can I get Red Caps at the cab stands?

Thanks.


----------



## Seaboard92 (Feb 3, 2018)

fixj said:


> This thread was started about 8 years ago, but I still can't find a good layout map for Washington Union station. I am arriving by cab and need to know how to get to the Metropolitan (or is it the Acela) lounge to wait for Acella 2160 to NYP. Can I get Red Caps at the cab stands?
> 
> Thanks.


Walk straight in from the cab stand. Cross thru the grand former waiting room. Go to the gate area and I want to say it's between gates B and C.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Feb 3, 2018)

It’s behind the information desk which is along the hallway in front the gates. Double wooden doors.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


----------



## Dakota 400 (Feb 3, 2018)

Where is the baggage check-in area at Union Station?


----------



## daybeers (Feb 3, 2018)

AmtrakBlue said:


> It’s behind the information desk which is along the hallway in front the gates. Double wooden doors.


This is it. It's between Gates D and E.


----------



## Dakota 400 (Feb 3, 2018)

daybeers said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> > It’s behind the information desk which is along the hallway in front the gates. Double wooden doors.
> ...


Does this answer my question as to where the baggage check-in location is?


----------



## brianpmcdonnell17 (Feb 3, 2018)

Dakota 400 said:


> Where is the baggage check-in area at Union Station?


It will be on the way while you are walking from the main entrance to Club Acela, between the old waiting room and the information desk. There are two main hallways linking the former waiting room to the track and Club Acela areas, with the baggage and check-in desks between them, so it could be on your left or right depending which hallway you walk down.


----------



## niemi24s (Feb 3, 2018)

printman2000 said:


> Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.


Here's what a Google search turned up for me: https://www.google.com/search?q=washington+dc+union+station+floor+plan&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio-eidl4vZAhVJKqwKHeDJBDYQsAQIMw&biw=1563&bih=879#imgrc=_ Take your pick.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Feb 3, 2018)

niemi24s said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone know of a place to get a floorplan of this station? My google search had produced nothing.
> ...


That's real helpful. How many of those look like Washington Union Station floor plans?


----------



## Ryan (Feb 5, 2018)

AmtrakBlue said:


> niemi24s said:
> 
> 
> > printman2000 said:
> ...


None of them.

I took the liberty of making a small sketch.

Taxi drop off at the bottom.

Straight through the big room (stop to admire).

Ticket and baggage counter in the center.

After checking your bags, the Club Acela is as mentioned. Under a walkway, between gates D and E.

It’s significantly easier than we’re making it sound.

The drawing is probably riddled with errors, but it gets the point across.


----------



## Dakota 400 (Feb 5, 2018)

Thank you, Ryan!

Your diagram tells me that once in the station at the taxi stand, all I need to do is to "follow my nose" and keep going "straight ahead".


----------



## RPC (Feb 6, 2018)

Most accurate I could find is the retail directory at https://www.unionstationdc.com/directory-map/. It essentially duplicates Ryan's map with a bit more detail.The ticket and baggage counter is the area marked "Retail Concourse" and the Club Acela is located behind the information counter in the area marked "Train Gates" - go figure.


----------



## fixj (Feb 6, 2018)

Many Thanks, Ryan, for the diagram. That helps a lot. Thanks everone for your input.

Jim


----------



## VentureForth (Feb 6, 2018)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Union+Station/@38.897794,-77.0063859,19.25z/data=!3m1!5s0x89b7b826ca5d1dab:0x7edf0a3ada1943bc!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b7b826ca5d5a51:0x5cbb0991d60ce1d7!8m2!3d38.8975799!4d-77.0061577

OK - a day late and a dollar short.

You may be able to check your bags in Club Acela, I don't know... Once checked in and settled, if you have the time, you may find good food and drink downstairs in the food court.


----------

