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A proposal for Chicago’s Union Station: an affordable and elegant way to achieve new capacity for the 21st Century
Guest post by Alan P. Mammoser and Wiktor Klosowski
When funding for Union Station renovations was announced in 2023, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner evoked the station’s past glories: “The hope is really to bring back some of the grandeur and capacity that used to be here when the old concourse existed,” he said, referring to the magnificent concourse building that was demolished in 1969.
“We want to put some of that capacity back and make a much better boarding experience for passengers.”
Amtrak and everyone else agree that Union Station needs much more capacity to meet current needs and expected future growth. The agency is working hard on plans to meet this need, but there is concern that its vision is too limited.
Amtrak is currently pursuing an “Interim Phase” consisting of several key enhancements. Unfortunately, it is obvious that this “Interim Phase” is a greatly watered down version of the past twenty-five years of planning for the station.
Specifically, Amtrak’s current solution for access to the all-important mail platform, which is to be reactivated to provide the essential service capacity expansion, is inadequate.
As we move forward with the biggest changes in the configuration of Union Station since 1982, we want to set the stage for its second century. Fortunately, the elements required to achieve significant new capacity are in place around Union Station. Properly assembled, they will create an outstanding environment for more passengers to easily access a growing number of routes and destinations.
The proposal we put forward here for a new inter-city train hall adjacent to Union Station is based upon years of excellent planning work for the future of Union Station. The relevant plans are noted below.
Capacity expansion
It is time for Amtrak to involve the public in a planning process that will shape major changes in the configuration of the station. There has not been a public meeting regarding the future of Union Station since 2011. Amtrak has not shared its extensive planning/design efforts, conducted over the past 8 years, with the public. The limited engagement with stakeholders has not been encouraging.
However, Amtrak’s planning is based on the fact that Union Station can be modified to accommodate major increases in the number of trains it serves, including serving as the Midwest hub for high-speed rail service, without the need to construct expensive new tunnels. Recent plans have highlighted the key improvements required to make this possible:
- Converting the large, unused ‘mail platform’ to passenger service
- Modifying operations to facilitate through-running on 2-4 tracks
- Widening all station platforms to improve passenger circulation
These basic improvements will facilitate the needed capacity expansion. Through-running will play a major role when trains can be operated as through trains, making only brief stops rather than originating/terminating at Union Station.
Getting to the platform
In December 2023 Amtrak was awarded funding for construction to reactivate and repurpose the mail platform. It has also received substantial funding for planning and design of upgrades to the concourse, the station tracks and platforms, and the ventilation system in the trainshed.
But Amtrak’s current intentions in an “Interim Phase” will apparently require passengers to access the reactivated mail platform by crossing two active tracks, making it infeasible for more trains to & from the north to use it.
This proposed solution is quite inadequate, creating more problems than it solves. What is needed at this moment is a solution that moves toward realizing Union Station’s real potential for significant capacity expansion. Anything less is time and money misspent.
To be effective the reactivated mail platform needs grade-separated access. There are two options for providing it:
- From below: Access to the mail platform from below would require passengers to descend to the basement below the existing concourse and walk through a tunnel approximately 600 feet long.
- From above (the mail platform extends under two buildings):
- Old Post Office – Now a very large, modern, high-end office building, the north end of the building is at Van Buren St. a block south of Union Station, where vertical access might be opened in the lobby directly to the platform below.
- 300 S. Riverside Plaza – This Class A office building is located across Jackson Blvd., immediately south of Union Station, where a new Amtrak station could be built into the lower two floors, directly above the southern end of the mail platform.
A viable solution with excellent views
We propose that Amtrak buy the 300 S. Riverside Plaza building, a 23 story, 1 million square foot office building built in 1983, located across Jackson Blvd. from the Union Station concourse.
Our proposal will keep the building essentially intact while renovating and expanding the lower two floors to serve as a new intercity train hall with direct access to the mail platform and the new through tracks below. Direct access to all Amtrak platforms of the south concourse will be provided.
Escalators and elevators would be installed to connect this new train hall to/from the platforms below, as well as install a climate-controlled connection to the existing Union Station concourse (which would remain the hub of Metra’s operations). Several building columns must be re-supported to allow platform widening.
Amtrak passengers would now see daylight and views of the Chicago River. If it is not possible to come to terms with the building’s current owners, Amtrak could deploy eminent domain rights to acquire the building. Amtrak recently exercised these rights to gain control of the parts of Washington Union Station that it did not already control.
Note on plans and platforms
Our proposal adheres closely and builds on concepts contained in the Union Station Master Plan study (1st report 2011; 2nd stage report issued 2016), produced by TranSystems for CDOT.
This study emphasizes the importance of reactivating and repurposing the old mail platform (out of use since 2002), because it provides huge new capacity potential. And, unlike Crossrail in London, RER in Paris, and S-Bahn in several German cities, the mail platform offers Chicago a way to achieve through-routing without the need for an expensive new tunnel.
The Union Station Master Plan study calls for eventually splitting the large platform, increasing the number of platform edges from 2 to 4. This does not increase the number of thru tracks but it allows trains to spend more time in the station (as a bit of cushion, for example for a train arrived from Green Bay before it heads south to Ft. Wayne). It also facilitates cross-platform transfers between succeeding trains on thru tracks without blocking other trains. The 2 east tracks (and platform) would be southbound and the west tracks (and platform) would be northbound.
Illustrations
Illustrations by Wiktor Klosowski, an Architectural Engineering student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology in Poland. He plans to continue in the master’s degree program in architecture. Wiktor volunteered many hours to production of both the floor plans and visualizations.
Platform Level Diagram
The images in this section were inspired by this track and platform proposal included in the City of Chicago’s Union Station Master Plan.
1 - From the southwest
Rendering of 300 S. Riverside Plaza Building, viewed from the southwest with historic glass canopies in the foreground. Note proposed extension on NW corner of building to provide air-conditioned connection to Union Station main concourse.
2 - From the northeast
Rendering of 300 S. Riverside Plaza Building, viewed from the northeast with Jackson Blvd. bridge in the foreground. Note proposed extension on SE corner of building to provide access to former mail platform and extension of Riverwalk. Amphitheater is optional!
3 - Main Hall
The main hall draws inspiration from the ceiling of the main hall of Union Station. Instead of being made of stone and plaster, it uses wood. This provides an interesting contrast between old and new and at the same time highlights the environmental friendliness of rail transport. Its complex geometry was not done in the past, it emphasizes the modernity of this building. In four places there are stars referring to the Chicago flag, did you manage to find them?
4 - Riverwalk Extension
Rendering of 300 S. Riverside Plaza Building, viewed from the proposed extension of the Riverwalk in the foreground. Note proposed extension on SE corner of building to provide access to former mail platform and extension of Riverwalk. Extension of beams beyond the building is required to avoid placement of columns on relatively narrow portion of Tr 36/40 platform.
5 - View from Jackson St.
View facing north with escalator to Track 36/40, one of the former mail platforms, in the foreground with escalator to main waiting room and Metropolitan Lounge to the left
6 - Main hall, waiting area
In main hall you will find furniture inspired by furniture from Union Station. In contrast to those furniture. They will be equipped with charging sockets, increasing the comfort of those waiting. In addition, on the next floor we will find the Waiting Room and the Metropolitan Lounge, preparing space for a larger number of travelers.
7 - View on the green garden
The green garde idea is simple. Design the plantings in such a way that flowers cannot appear. Many people suffer from allergies to pollen, grass pollen, tree pollen and shrubs. The station building cannot cause inconvenience to anyone, and should provide everyone with the highest service it can give.
8 - View on the green garden
We can see a small piece of green grass on the extended part of the building. All over the world, we see a decrease in the number of birds in cities. This is due to the decrease in breeding grounds and urbanization. This safe place can become an ideal breeding ground for several species of birds. It seems not many, but the number of such places can stabilize the population and stop the negative impact of us on the ecosystem.
9 - Jackson St. Entrance
View of northwest corner of 300 S. Riverside Plaza Building, along Jackson Blvd. Opening the building up to serve as a train hall by cutting the office elevators back is visible from the outside here. It is also proposed to add an extension of the building to the west to provide an indoor connection to the existing Union Station concourse. Part of the waiting room is proposed to be provided on the second floor portion of that extension.
10 - Riverwalk from Van Buren
View from Van Buren with proposed extension of the Riverwalk in the foreground. Note proposed extension on SE corner of building to provide access to former mail platform and extension of Riverwalk.
11 - Entrance to the corridor to Union Station
View of escalators to Union Station main concourse, facing northeast. This area is proposed to be added to 300 S. Riverside Plaza. Jackson Blvd. is in the background and a convenience shop is to the right, with the main hall (with high ceiling) beyond.
12 - View from Main Hall to baggage collection and tickets office
On the left we can see the escalator to the Metropolitan Lounge.
13 - View from Van Buren Entrance
View facing north with escalator to Track 36/40,one of the former mail platforms, in the foreground with escalator to main waiting room and Metropolitan Lounge to the left. The extended Riverwalk is outside of the windows.
14 - View of the terrace above the First-Class Lounge
On the office lobby level, one of the restaurants will have this terrace. A perfect place to admire the city and the river.
15 - View of the Green Garden
This place is intended to remind visitors of Chicago’s world-famous parks. Additionally, plants from the state of Illinois to be planted here, educating and promoting nature of the state.
16 - Ticketing and Baggage
View of ticketing and baggage check-in/claim areas facing east, with escalator to waiting room and restaurant on left and escalator to Tr. 22/24 platform in the foreground.
Feedback?
Have any questions or comments regarding this proposal? Let us know.
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