Amtrak's bid to take over Union Station

FOX 5 staying ahead of Amtrak’s bid to take over Union Station by Eminent Domain.

WASHINGTON - A legal back and forth about the future of Union Station continues.

Last month, FOX 5 told you about Amtrak’s bid to use eminent domain to take the station over.

Currently, Amtrak owns about 13% of the station, mainly the platform and rails.

Amtrak wants to use eminent domain to take over the terminal as well.

Federal law allows Amtrak to use eminent domain if they can prove it’s in the interest of passenger rail, and they pay fair market value.

Amtrak has said there are safety improvements that need to be made that haven’t been.

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The U.S. Government owns the station but leases it out.

In legal filings, the leaseholders shot back that Amtrak’s valuation of the station is low, it doesn’t have the authority to use eminent domain, and that the station is properly maintained.

Amtrak says it offered $250 million for the property.

Amtrak makes bid to take over Union Station

Fox 5's David Kaplan reports that Amtrak is asking a court to allow the company to take over D.C.'s Union Station under eminent domain.

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Attorneys for the leaseholders call that number "grossly inadequate" in legal filings.

"The actual motivation for this taking is that Amtrak wants to seize control of a valuable asset or at least leverage its position in order to extract economic concessions to which it is not entitled," the filing said.

The leaseholders disagree with Amtrak’s assessment that there are issues with station operations, saying that safety improvements are being planned.

Fox 5 will stay on top of updates to this story.

Washington, D.C.Travel News