In the decades leading up to 1905, Alexandria’s rail infrastructure was fragmented. Multiple rail companies maintained competing lines, separate depots, and tangled track patterns that crisscrossed the city. As the region’s transportation networks matured, the need for consolidation became clear. The idea of a “union station” — a shared facility to centralize passenger service — gained traction as a means to streamline operations and give Alexandria a more dignified public face toward rail passengers. https://amtraktrainstations.com/stations/alexandria-amtrak-station/