Union Station is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station opened in 1918 after the previous Union Station was destroyed by fire. It fell into decline, however, along with the rest of the railroad industry in North America after World War II. It was shuttered in 1972 and almost demolished until the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project came to the rescue in 1979. Reopened after extensive renovations in early 1985, it is now the premier gateway to the city.