For months, Metra and Amtrak riders have powered through a maze of scaffolding at Union Station as, above them, Canal Street is rebuilt.

That drab landscape was hit with a kaleidoscope last week when Amtrak debuted three public art installations, which will be on display through summer 2025.

Here’s a look at the exhibits, a construction update and what’s happening with an underfunded megaproject to upgrade the 100-year rail hub.

Station art

Over 40 translucent panels with eye-popping pastels, dreamy images and shapes create a welcome diversion for commuters streaming through the station’s two concourses.

Aptly named “Daydreaming,” the installation was inspired by visual artist Caroline Kent’s own train travels.

“They’re all their own little compositions. I think about being on the train. Your eyes pick up different things as you move through cities and towns and landscapes,” she said. “And I thought of how these small moments become abstracted over time in your memory.



“For me it was an opportunity to (convey) the sentiment and joy of daydreaming on a train.”

It’s also a stark contrast to the monochromatic browns and hard surfaces of Union Station, said Chicagoan Kent.

“The soft counterpoint of these soft pastels is something that I thought could give people a sense of peace walking by.”



Pop artist POSE’s mural, “Accord,” serves more as a wake-up for passengers. The vibrant, wall-to-wall cartoons tell wordless stories with clues including a vintage phone, an electrical outlet and a woman with expressive eyes.

Chicagoan Jordan Nickel, also know as POSE, said the artwork is a fusion of his childhood — “I grew up on comic books; it made art accessible to me” — and walking in on a wedding photo shoot at Union Station.

“This couple were both so elated and it made me think about trains as a connection between people.”

But ultimately the narrative is up to the viewer, Nickel said.

“I personally don’t want to be arbiter of anybody’s experience — it’s yours. I really want to make work that’s like a puzzle that you keep going back to and trying to figure out.”

Rounding out the exhibits is artist Chad Kouri’s “Reflection Pools Monument” displayed alongside the iconic, now-closed Metro Deli. Silver orbs set in colorful geometric shapes provide a sense of calm amid the bustle, Art at Amtrak Director Sharon Tepper explained.

Ambitious improvements

In 2023, Amtrak sought a $873 million federal grant for the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP).

By combining that with $218 million in matching state and local funds, officials had hoped to secure $1.1 billion to modernize Union Station and related track infrastructure.

Instead, Amtrak was awarded $93.6 million but “we’ve continued to pursue other opportunities,” spokesman Marc Magliari said.

“We have much to do and even the (grant) application wasn’t everything we need to improve the customer experience for Amtrak and Metra commuter rail customers,” he said.

That includes expanding train platforms, improving air quality, providing more passenger access and capacity, and improving routes to and from the station.

Amtrak intends to go out to bid in early 2025 to convert unused platforms — once used for mail trains — for passengers.

Design work to modernize the concourse level is underway and those plans should be made public in spring.

Still in need of funding are track improvements near the station to provide a direct connection for trains from Carbondale and New Orleans, and in Michigan to speed up service between Chicago and Detroit, officials said.

Asked about the shortfall, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said last week that “we’ve got our fingers crossed.”

Ultimately, the decision is up to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said Durbin.

“I’ve talked to him personally; he knows how I feel about it,” he said.

Canal Street construction

Unsure why a sizable section of Union Station is swathed in scaffolding and Canal Street is closed?

The city is rehabbing four Canal Street viaducts, which serve as the roof over parts of the station, as well as rebuilding the road and sidewalks between Taylor and Madison streets.

Work started in August 2023 and was supposed to have taken 18 months.

The Chicago Department of Transportation has promised “more info in the coming weeks about the updated schedule.”