Boarding an Amtrak train at Chicago Union Station is set to get easier.
Amtrak has announced a $112 million project to turn long-unused mail platforms into the station’s first-level boarding platforms—allowing travelers to board without ramps, stairs, or lifts.
Amtrak marked the start of the project on November 9, with major construction expected to begin by the end of 2026. The work is expected to take 30 months.
What’s changing at Union Station?
The Platform 30–38 Project will convert dormant platforms originally built to handle mail and parcels for the post office above the tracks into accessible passenger boarding areas. The new platforms will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and serve multiple tracks.
According to Fox 32 Chicago, Warren LeBeau, Amtrak’s vice president of infrastructure project delivery, described the improvement as “[delivering] a fully ADA-compliant, level boarding platform that makes travel easier and more convenient for all Amtrak passengers.”
The project also includes a climate-controlled waiting area with restrooms and access to tracks 30 and higher. Beyond adding boarding capacity, the platforms will provide temporary space to keep passengers moving while other platforms undergo future reconstruction.
Who’s paying for the project?
Amtrak says the $112 million budget comes from three sources:
- $49.6 million through a fiscal year 2022–23 Federal-State Partnership grant administered by the Federal Railroad Administration.
- $40 million in fiscal year 2025 federal appropriations.
- $22.4 million in matching contributions from Amtrak, the City of Chicago and Cook County.
This is the first project in the Chicago Hub Improvement Program to advance to construction. The broader program also includes work on the South Branch Bridge, which received an FRA grant award of up to $37.25 million in 2026 for rehabilitation and planning for a future replacement.
