Since acquiring the Union Station in 2011, Metro has sought to overhaul the historic passenger rail terminal’s appeal as both a transit hub and a real estate asset. The planned makeover – called Link Union Station – calls for building new run-through at the southern end of the station, allowing trains to cross above the US-101 Freeway, while also expanding an existing passenger tunnel and adding new amenities. That vision, as with so many other ambitious infrastructure projects across the country, has faced the challenge of a growing budget that exceeds available funding: in June 2023, the price tag of Link Union Station had ballooned to an estimated $1.93 billion, more than double the $950 million Metro had secured for construction.
In the months that have passed, Metro has appears to have adjusted its plans in an effort to move the project forward, per a new presentation unearthed by @numble. After value engineering, plans how call for a reduction in the number of new-build platforms which would have access to the run-through tracks from seven to four. Those platforms would serve eight different tracks which would converge onto just two tracks crossing the freeway – also a reduction from the original plan which had called for at least four.