DeLand (Amtrak station)

DeLand
Station statistics
Address 2491 Old New York Avenue
Deland, FL 32720
Lines
Connections 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 Miami
Silver Meteor
Silver Star
toward Orlando
Sunset Limited
service suspended
    Future services    
SunRail
DeBary
toward Poinciana
SunRail Phase 2
Planned 2015
Terminus
    Former services    
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Orange City
Main Line
De Leon Springs

The 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

External links