Sanford (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Sanford is a railroad terminal in Sanford, Florida
. It is the southern terminus for Amtrak
's Auto Train
which runs between this station and Lorton, VA
. The original facility, which opened in 1971, was an older and smaller facility than the terminal at Lorton. Currently, the Auto Train loads its passengers on two tracks in Sanford, as no one track is long enough to accommodate all the passenger railcars. Sanford's operation is also unique in that a railroad crossing runs through the middle of the rail yard. Recently, Amtrak
and the State of Florida
replaced the older station with a new facility that can accommodate larger numbers of passengers more comfortably.
. It ran the station from 1971 to 1981 when the Auto-Train Corporation
fell into bankruptcy forcing service to end. The station was reopened in 1983 when Amtrak revived the Auto Train
service.
The former terminal building was replaced by a new structure that opened on 18 October 2010. Construction of the building began on 18 May 2009, after the decision to replace the former building, damaged by hurricanes in 2004, was made, and cost around $10.5 million.
, and Sunset Limited
until August 1, 2005. The station was originally built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
in 1913 and rebuilt in 1953. Like most passenger stations, it was acquired by Amtrak upon its inception in 1971. Though Amtrak gave the address as 800 Persimmon Avenue, Suite 100, it was actually located at a dead end of West 8th Street, west of Persimmon Avenue. The proposed Central Florida Commuter Rail system has plans to revive rail service to Sanford with a SunRail
station, but rather than utilizing the former Amtrak station, plans call for a new station on Florida State Road 46.
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...
. It is the southern terminus for Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Auto Train
Auto Train
Auto Train is an scheduled train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia , and Sanford, Florida . Although there are similar services around the world, the Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States...
which runs between this station and Lorton, VA
Lorton (Amtrak station)
Lorton is a railroad terminal in Lorton, Virginia. It is the northern terminal for Amtrak's Auto Train which operates between this station and Sanford, FL. When Auto-Train was originally established in Lorton in 1971, the station house was still under construction...
. The original facility, which opened in 1971, was an older and smaller facility than the terminal at Lorton. Currently, the Auto Train loads its passengers on two tracks in Sanford, as no one track is long enough to accommodate all the passenger railcars. Sanford's operation is also unique in that a railroad crossing runs through the middle of the rail yard. Recently, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and the State of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
replaced the older station with a new facility that can accommodate larger numbers of passengers more comfortably.
History
The station once served trains run by the now defunct Auto-Train CorporationAuto-Train Corporation
Auto-Train Corporation was a privately owned railroad which used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads along the route of its trains, serving central Florida from points in the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington, DC, and the Mid-West near Louisville, Kentucky,...
. It ran the station from 1971 to 1981 when the Auto-Train Corporation
Auto-Train Corporation
Auto-Train Corporation was a privately owned railroad which used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads along the route of its trains, serving central Florida from points in the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington, DC, and the Mid-West near Louisville, Kentucky,...
fell into bankruptcy forcing service to end. The station was reopened in 1983 when Amtrak revived the Auto Train
Auto Train
Auto Train is an scheduled train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia , and Sanford, Florida . Although there are similar services around the world, the Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States...
service.
The former terminal building was replaced by a new structure that opened on 18 October 2010. Construction of the building began on 18 May 2009, after the decision to replace the former building, damaged by hurricanes in 2004, was made, and cost around $10.5 million.
Sanford's non-Auto Train Station
Three-tenths of a mile south of the station used for the Auto-Train, Sanford had another Amtrak station that served the Silver Star, Silver MeteorSilver Meteor
The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...
, and Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
until August 1, 2005. The station was originally built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
in 1913 and rebuilt in 1953. Like most passenger stations, it was acquired by Amtrak upon its inception in 1971. Though Amtrak gave the address as 800 Persimmon Avenue, Suite 100, it was actually located at a dead end of West 8th Street, west of Persimmon Avenue. The proposed Central Florida Commuter Rail system has plans to revive rail service to Sanford with a SunRail
SunRail
SunRail is a planned commuter rail system in the greater Orlando, Florida area, linking Poinciana to DeLand through Downtown Orlando...
station, but rather than utilizing the former Amtrak station, plans call for a new station on Florida State Road 46.