New Amtrak stations in Sanford, Fla., and Mattoon, Ill
A new Amtrak station is
open near Orlando for the more than 244,000 annual Amtrak Auto Train passengers.
At about 10,000 square feet, the station in Sanford seats 600 passengers and is
about four times larger than its predecessor. Thomas Carper, chairman of the
Amtrak Board of Directors, joined local, state and federal officials for the
celebration. The original depot, constructed in 1971 and renovated in 1995, was
not large enough to accommodate growing demand for the Auto Train, which just
reported a year-to-year ridership increase of nearly five percent – despite the
economic recession.