Amtrak Opens Temporary Ticketed Passenger Waiting at Washington Union Station

WASHINGTON - As the Thanksgiving holiday travel period gets underway, Amtrak customers can wait for their trains in a new, temporary waiting area at Washington Union Station. The waiting area officially opened today, Nov. 19.

The waiting area is located in the former Uniqlo location, near the Amtrak Ticket Counter. Customer service representatives will greet customers, check tickets and provide service. Washington Union Station is the second busiest station in the Amtrak national network.

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel period of the year and Amtrak is prepared to accommodate the expected surge of travelers on trains and at stations. In 2023, Amtrak carried more than a million customers on its trains around the country during the Thanksgiving travel period for a 16% increase from 2022; 97% of 2019 ridership levels. During Thanksgiving in 2023, more than 149,000 of Amtrak customers traveled through Washington, D.C.

With new routes and frequencies added since Thanksgiving 2023, Amtrak expects to carry even more customers to their Thanksgiving celebrations this year.