- DeLand (Amtrak station)
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DeLand Station statistics Address 2491 Old New York Avenue
Deland, FL 32720Coordinates 29°01′02″N 81°21′09″W / 29.01709°N 81.35239°WCoordinates: 29°01′02″N 81°21′09″W / 29.01709°N 81.35239°W Lines Silver StarConnections Thruway Motorcoach Platforms 1 Tracks 2(1 usable) Parking Yes Other information Opened 1918 Rebuilt June 6, 1988 Accessible Code DLD Traffic Passengers (2010) 25,982[1] 0.1%
Services Gazebo Preceding station Amtrak Following station toward MiamiSilver Meteor toward New York CitySilver Star toward OrlandoSunset Limited service suspendedtoward Los AngelesFuture services SunRail DeBarytoward PoincianaSunRail Phase 2 Planned 2015Terminus Former services Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Orange Citytoward Tampa Union StationMain Line De Leon SpringsThe DeLand Amtrak station is located several miles west of downtown DeLand, at the location formerly known as DeLand Junction. DeLand Station was originally built in 1918, and stood across from the former Volusia County Fairgrounds. When the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad, and then the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ran the line past this station, they also ran passenger service to downtown DeLand. The terminus of this spur was in downtown DeLand at a hotel named College Arms. There is a public housing high-rise with the same name currently on the site. The track proceeded several blocks further to some local businesses and was graded all the way to Lake Helen, FL where it would have connected to the Atlantic and Western RR but track was never laid. The station was acquired by Amtrak, and restored in 1988, although the second track has not been maintained properly. Up until 2005 when it was truncated to New Orleans, the Sunset Limited also stopped here. The station also provides Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service to Daytona Beach, Florida.
There is a domestic cat that lives at the station and is cared for by station staff. Whenever a train comes, the feline has been noted to come out of its shelter, walk out to the platform and greet the train. It then proceeds to hop on the baggage transport cart and rides down to the luggage car on the train with the station master. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students have aptly named the cat as "Station Cat".
Future SunRail Service
DeLand station is planned to be the final northern terminus of the planned SunRail commuter rail system by 2015. This will lead to resumed maintenance of the neglected second track along with other upgrades to the station. The station will see the addition of a 184 park and ride lot and a bus drop off area. [2]
References
- ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2010, State of Florida" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2010. http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/FLORIDA10.pdf. Retrieved 2011-1-6.
- ^ DeLand Amtrak Station (SunRail)
External links
Categories:- Amtrak stations in Florida
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad stations
- Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach stations in Florida
- Transportation in Volusia County, Florida
- Buildings and structures in Volusia County, Florida
- Florida geography stubs
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