# Why do so many cities have a union station? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 17, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765 "2012-08-17T11:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765/1 "2012-08-17T11:14:52Z")
I notice that Dallas is not one of those that has a “union” station. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/828/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/828/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station) In fact, it has a RE-union station. I thought it might be because that’s where families and friends would have a reunion when traveling to see each other, but that’s presumptuous since not everyone travels to make a reunion. Certainly it wasn’t a resurgence of the Labor movement, at least not in Texas. So, would it be a RE-consolidation of multiple rail stations in Dallas AGAIN? A similar (and worthless) lookup into the word “reiteration” showed that an ITERATION is to repeat. So RE-iteration is to repeat. Repeatedly. “So, let me reiterate. But I repeat myself. Again.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765/2 "2012-08-17T12:14:41Z")
A “Union Station” is(or used to be) a railway station used by two or more different railways, allowing passengers to transfer from one railway to another. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765/3 "2012-08-17T14:43:42Z")
> [@Marc\_Xenos](#): > > I notice that Dallas is not one of those that has a “union” station. > [Why do so many cities have a “Union Station”? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/828/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station) > In fact, it has a RE-union station. > > I thought it might be because that’s where families and friends would have a reunion when traveling to see each other, but that’s presumptuous since not everyone travels to make a reunion. > > Certainly it wasn’t a resurgence of the Labor movement, at least not in Texas. > > So, would it be a RE-consolidation of multiple rail stations in Dallas AGAIN? > > A similar (and worthless) lookup into the word “reiteration” showed that an ITERATION is to repeat. So RE-iteration is to repeat. Repeatedly. “So, let me reiterate. But I repeat myself. Again.” I don’t know about “reunion” station, but Dallas has a [Union Station](http://www.unionstationdallas.com/?id=/general-information/). Of course, since there is no longer any such thing as multiple long-haul passenger rail lines, it can’t be really a union station any more, but it is the city’s Amtrak terminal, as well as a mass trans commuter and light rail station. Nice architecture, too, apparently. Reminds me an awful lot of my [own local Union Station](http://www.durhammuseum.org/) (which, alas, is only a museum now). ETA: I won’t vouch for its accuracy (being Wikipedia and all), but this is a [list of union stations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Union_Stations) (active, inactive, or no longer existing) in North America. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765/4 "2012-08-17T15:38:42Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Nice architecture, too, apparently. Reminds me an awful lot of my [own local Union Station](http://www.durhammuseum.org/) (which, alas, is only a museum now). I absolutely _love_ train station architecture. A lot of these buildings date back to a time when long-distance travel was a Big Deal, and it shows. DC’s Union Station, for example, has statues of Roman soldiers welcoming travelers to the capital of the Republic. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-cities-have-a-union-station/631765/5 "2012-08-17T17:08:09Z")
I always thought it was a result of the War of Northern Agression. any time the evil Unionist forces took over a station they’d call it that. Joking, onnnnnlllyyy joking. . . .