Union Station is a very unique train station and unlike any other in the USA. A peaceful hushed vibe is felt immediately upon entry; its clean and doesn’t have the unpleasant odor of stale urine which is a prerequisite for all American train and bus stations. It almost has the sanctity of a library its that quiet and still.I could wander the place for hours or just sit and daydream. Unfortunately the residual effects of COVID have hit the station very hard.There isn’t any activity to observe anymore and most of the seats are covered in Saran wrap to discourage loitering and possibly spreading disease unwittingly into the atmosphere.Or possibly just a ruse to keep the homeless from getting the wrong ideas.Ridership is down over 90% according to information posted online by the Metro system in DC. If government funding wasn’t available the station would probably be closed because the trains are almost empty.Surprisingly though the schedules up and down the eastern seaboard remain unchanged evidently because the funding is there. JFK once came to Union Station to greet Haile Selassie who arrived here from NYC when he visited the country back in 1961. Its an historic place going all the way back to the Civil War and you can feel it. But more of an ad lib historical than anything calculated in advance which is part of its charm. There’s been a rumor going around that certain heretics would like to demolish the place because it doesn’t quite gibe with the modern techno-system. If they ever did such a thing it would break my heart. May it stand and endure as long as the Lincoln Monument.
AmericanSiddartha 