Construction begins on Winter Park station for Amtrak, SunRail

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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City of Winter Park

On Feb. 13, 2013, the city of Winter Park, Fla., in partnership with Amtrak, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), broke ground for a new $1.2-million depot fronting on Central Park and the shopping and dining district.

The new 2,400-square-foot building, which will accommodate Amtrak intercity passenger rail service and future SunRail commuter service, replaces a 1962 structure built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The new depot, designed by local firm, ACi Inc., should be finished by late 2013.

Winter Park is served by the daily Silver Meteor (New York-Miami) and the Silver Star (New York-Tampa-Miami). In fiscal year 2012, more than 33,400 passengers used the station and since 2002, ridership has risen almost 40 percent.

The SunRail commuter rail system’s construction has been divided into two phases. The first phase, a 32-mile segment running from Sand Lake Road to DeBary, began in January 2012. Once that section is completed, Phase 2 will break ground to extend the system south to Poinciana and north to DeLand.

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