Union station means: A railroad station shared by more than one railroad company, usually to spread the costs and ease the logistics of serving a particular town by rail.. It is mainly Canadian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
union station
(rail, US, Canada) A railroad station shared by more than one railroad company, usually to spread the costs and ease the logistics of serving a particular town by rail.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2201, scheduled to depart Chicago Union Station at 5:40 AM, will be delayed in departure due to earlier signal problems and a medical emergency. The duration of this delay is unknown. Metra will…
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BlueskyMay 2026
🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2202 scheduled to arrive Chicago Union Station at 6:13 AM, may be operating 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule, due to signal problems. Visit metratracker.com for the location of your train.
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BlueskyMay 2026
🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2200 scheduled to arrive Chicago Union Station at 5:31 AM, may be operating 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule, due to signal problems. Visit metratracker.com for the location of your train.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Union Station - Chicago (1960) 📷 by Vivian Maier
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BlueskyMay 2026
i don’t understand how dc union station isn’t 24/7 and doesn’t have 24/7 bars
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(rail, US, Canada) A railroad station shared by more than one railroad company, usually to spread the costs and ease the logistics of serving a particular town by rail.
The Burlington had built a union station at the junction, but the Union Pacific refused to stop its trains there until it received an interest in the townsite.
For parents
Union station means: A railroad station shared by more than one railroad company, usually to spread the costs and ease the logistics of serving a particular town by rail.. It is mainly Canadian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
union station means: A railroad station shared by more than one railroad company, usually to spread the costs and ease the logistics of serving a particular town by rail.. Register: informal, Canadian English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: general
Heard in the wild
“When I start dancing to Chris Martin and Robbie Williams as the greatest pop musicians of our time near the Calatrava, it's time to import Pret a Manger from Italian Village in Chicago to WI. There is only 1 in Union Station:( Why is there no train to Madison from Milwaukee?”
— Bluesky· May 2026“🚆 Metra BNSF: train #1254 scheduled to arrive Chicago Union Station at 1:20 PM, may be operating 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule, due to track construction. Visit metratracker.com for the location of your train.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“(AV Line) Train 209 to Vista Canyon will use track 5B at LA Union Station. (10:39 AM Departure)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“May 1939: Los Angeles didn't get a Union Station without a fight. First proposed in 1907, a unified depot was bitterly opposed by the railroads for decades.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“(91/PV Line) Train 720 to Downtown Riverside will use track 11B at LA Union Station. (12:33 PM Departure)”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(When capitalized as a proper noun, "Union Station") An instance of such a station, as for example Union Station in Toronto or Union Station in Los Angeles.
The Burlington had built a union station at the junction, but the Union Pacific refused to stop its trains there until it received an interest in the townsite.
Heard in the wild
“🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2201, scheduled to depart Chicago Union Station at 5:40 AM, will be delayed in departure due to earlier signal problems and a medical emergency. The duration of this delay is unknown. Metra will provide updates as information becomes available.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2202 scheduled to arrive Chicago Union Station at 6:13 AM, may be operating 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule, due to signal problems. Visit metratracker.com for the location of your train.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“🚆 Metra MD-W: train #2200 scheduled to arrive Chicago Union Station at 5:31 AM, may be operating 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule, due to signal problems. Visit metratracker.com for the location of your train.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Union Station - Chicago (1960) 📷 by Vivian Maier”
— Bluesky· May 2026“i don’t understand how dc union station isn’t 24/7 and doesn’t have 24/7 bars”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Semantically related
- railroad station70%
(US) A place where trains stop for passengers to embark and disembark.
- railway station63%
(British) A place where trains stop for passengers to embark and disembark.
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(US, rail) A railroad car containing two or more compartments used for different purposes, transporting passengers and freight.
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(US) A bus station or railway station.