Washington Union Station experienced a commercial power outage Thursday that affected signage and passenger communications across the busy D.C. transit hub, though officials say trains themselves never stopped running. Passenger communications were extremely limited as ticket counters, display boards and other amenities went offline during the disruption.
Due to a commercial power outage, Washington Union Station is currently without power, according to WBAL-TV. Passenger communications were extremely limited as a result. As WUSA9 reported, the outage caused frustration and delays for both employees and travelers moving through the station Thursday.
Amenities Go Dark While Trains Keep Moving
Ticket counters, station display boards, restrooms, the food court and other amenities were reported as potentially unavailable because of the outage, the station said. Despite the disruption inside the building, both Amtrak and MARC said rail service remained unaffected, meaning trains continued to depart and arrive even as the terminal itself operated without power.
Signage and passenger communications were limited. MDOT's guidance noted that communications from Gate B in particular would be extremely limited, and passengers were encouraged to listen directly to conductors and gate attendants for boarding instructions rather than relying on overhead displays.
Earlier Alert Reported Signs Down, Technician Called In
A separate post on X dated Sept. 17, 2025, from MTA Maryland
said the electronic signs at the start of each MARC platform at Union Station were out of service, and that Amtrak had called a technician to make repairs. The agency directed riders to MARC customer service staff for assistance while the signs remained down.
Amtrak encouraged customers to take extra time and use caution while moving through the station and across platforms, since lighting and other station services could be limited during the outage. Riders were also pointed toward Amtrak's website and mobile app for train status and travel updates, a workaround for the dimmed boards inside the terminal.
Officials said there could be some impact to train service down the line, according to the seed report. For now, though, the message from both Amtrak and MARC has been consistent: the trains are still moving, even if the station around them is struggling to keep the lights on.
