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Chicago Union Station Marks 100th Anniversary, Unveils 2026 Modernization Plans

Platform, mezzanine, ventilation upgrades under the federally backed Chicago Hub Improvement Program are slated to begin in 2026.

Union Station in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. President Joe Biden hailed a tentative railway labor agreement he helped to broker that averted an economically perilous nationwide work stoppage less than two months ahead of the November midterm elections. Photographer: Jim Vondruska/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Overview

  • Gov. JB Pritzker led a centennial ceremony in the Great Hall, highlighting the station’s legacy of welcoming global travelers.
  • The multi-modal hub now serves 120,000 passengers daily through Amtrak, Metra, Greyhound and CTA services.
  • A recent renovation of the iconic Great Hall restored its architectural grandeur and improved traveler amenities.
  • Conceived in Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, the limestone-clad station features 24 stub tracks in the nation’s only double-stub design.
  • Amtrak, owner since 1984, will repurpose disused mail platforms beneath the Old Post Office and reduce rail congestion through CHIP-funded work beginning in 2026.